Camp California Jan 23/62

            Alexandria Virginia

 

Dear father sisters and Brother

i received your letter on the 21^st and was glad to hear from you we have had very bad weather the last 2 weeks we had only 2 clear days in that time and i did had not a warm foot since raining all time and fogy and cold and very muddy i would have answered your letter sooner only i was waiting to get paid us could not get paid because our Colonel was not here he arrived here on wedensday we expect to get paid on Saturday so you need not write till you get the money so i wish you would send me some tobacco in a bundle and something for my neck and thread and needles we have no drill now / we have to go for wood 2 a day it is getting very scarce here we have to go about half mile and carry it on our shoulders i did not receive the paper you sent with the letter you say you sent it the same time you sent the letter i have not received it yet nor i guess wont it has been verry disagreeable in the tents now every time we come in tent we fetch in plenty of mud and if we would not have them tied we would leave them behind us for the mud sticks to the shoes awful we dont hear of any advance yet i blive our Captian will be Major in place of the Leut Colonel resigning So i would like you would send me about 4 pounds of smoking tobacco for it is very dear here and half dozen of plug and some kind of a scarf for / my neck and about 3 good needles and a spool of good black and white tread you can tie them up in a bundle and send them by Adams Express i dont think they will cost no more than 25 cents

 

            Send me some stamps

            and the Murcury

            So more at Preasent

                        John Loughran

 

Send me a couple of sheets of emery paper you can get it in the hard ware store and a pice of flanel for cleaning the gun

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