Camp California Alexandria Virginia

February 16^th/62                       

                                                                     

Dear Father Sisters and brother

i received your letter on the 13^th and the Murcury on the 12^th the reason i did write before this was because we went out on picket on Wedensday last and got home this afternoon we had a good time of it it commenced snowing on Saturday and it snowed about 6 hours i will tell you the way we got along on picket first we marched to Edsallshill a pig pen hill for the bunks looks like pigs for they are made of boards and ties but no nails with bush and branches to lay on this is the head quarters from there we started further on about 2 miles and then to our post we have brush wood huts 

 

now i tell you the way we will get along with food we got 2 days rations of bacon awful fat that when we started so i fetched my plate with me so i sliced the bacon and fryed it with some of suages and it went first rate but it all gone now there are 4 in our tent a man and his son a drummer me and a nother but he is taken sick with some fever and is went to the hospital and is bad we expect to move in a few days but dont where it is verry cold here some days morning verry often that comforter comes good the roads are in an awful state mud to knees it would be impossible to march a long ways there was a scouting party sent out on Thursday night of about 100 men they went to Burks station about / 6 miles with no signs of the enemy you can send the Murcury every week for that all i have to read

 

so no more at preasent             

but remains yours affectionate

brother  John Loughran

 

            Direct same as before

 

PS we expect to move somewhere about Clouds mills about 1 mile from here for because the wood is getting scarce here

SOURCES