Ship point April 15 1862

 

Dear Father Sisters and Brother I received your letter on the 2^nd and was glad to hear from you We left manassas on the 2^nd and took the cars for Camp California we arrived in the afternoon I lost all my paper and stamps with about 2 pounds of tobacco and a fatigue jacket there was a Regiment in our camp while we where away and they stole every thing we received orders to march to Fortress Monroe on the 3^rd we went to Alexandria and went aboard the steamship Ocean Queen the Irish Brigade also we were taken from the steamer it being so crowed and put aboard the steamboat Ariel with 2 schooners in tow loaded with troops we started on the 4^th about 10 oclock and sailed all day at night we anchored and the next morning it was foggy / so it cleared of at 11 oclock on the 5^th and arrived at Fortress monroe on the 6^th at 10 oclock at night we anchored and started again for shipping point which is about 15 miles from the Fort

 

i am writing as we go along our captian went to new york on a furlogh on the 19 of march also the 2^nd lieutenant for 30 days our first lieutenant did not come with us i belive he missed boat or he dont want to come there are a great many vessels arount the Fort man of war and sailing vessels

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