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Camp Peoria, Peoria Ills. Sept. 14, 1862

Dear Folks at Home

As William Dyckes is in camp & intends going back to L tomorrow I thought I would fix a letter to send down by him. Sundays in camp are all confusion & bustle so that it is hard to fix one's mind on reading or anything else much & I don't know but it is as well for me to write as to lay around & sleep all day. I am sure laying out one side of the Barracks with my Portfolio for a stand & "mother Earth" for a seat or lay rather. I was glad to receive your letters & shall expect to hear often from you by long letters & well filled with the news about old Lewiston. You need not feel at all anxious about my getting along all right now as we have got things fixed up quite [split word transcribed on next page] [vertical writing begin] fill 2 or 3 sheets with what would be news to you; but I guess I have written enough for Sunday. You can now send letters to care of Capt. Hale I get my "duds" washed by a widow near by; cheap & well dirty. Give my best respects to any inquiring Friends Yours & Henry Rice P.S. Send [illegible] Papers that would be new to me. H.R. [end vertical writing]