Next time direct Co "C" U.S. Engineers. In care of Nobody. Duane is Captain of "A" the old company

 

I will send this in a franked envelope one of the boys gave me. We have a dog named Carlo in this room. he belongs to the Co. we brought him from Boston

 

Washington Dec 25. 1861

 

Dear Nancy

                        Today is Christmas, it is a holiday here, we have nothing to do. The boys celebrate the day with firecrackers, and shooting pistols. It seems a queer way to me. My dinner consisted of boiled rice and beef. one of the fellows from my room was at work in the kitchen and got us a little extra rice. then we bought some maple sirup. so I had a very good dinner. for supper we always have bread and coffee. I buy a cents worth of milk sometimes. Milk sell at ten cents a quart. I have more liberty here / to go away from quarters than at Boston. Though in the city there is a provost guard who arrest all soldiers without passes. I went to a methodist church last Sunday and the week before to a catholic. The Smithsonean Institute is but a little ways from here I can go over there any day and spend two hours looking at the things. I was weighed there and weighed 143 pounds more than ever before. Yesterday this company started away right after breakfast and marched off four miles into some woods to cut stuff for gabions and fascines. We got back here about 4 o'clock with a good appetite for dinner. We each had a little hatchet to carry. our wood will be drawn by teams. We passed by a great many camps and in every field we could see there had been tents pitched / but now the army is all the other side of the river. Last week we were drilled at the skirmish drill and had some running to do. Our Lieutenant drills us his name is Weitzel the company like him very much. I wouldn't wonder if he were our captain

 

            Monday it rained and we did not have to drill as much as usual. it is the only stormy day there has been since we came here. has there been any snow in the Valley. It freezes here nights but through the day is muddy and warm The mud here sticks to the cloths and shoes. Yesterday at one time I thought I was carrying two or three pounds along on my shoes. The soil here is different from that in Mass. it is of a red color. Through New Jersey the ground was just the color of common brick. 

 

I have a good little room only six in it besides myself. we have a fire in a fireplace and get along first rate. I will never complain if we live as well all the time.

We are to commence soon to recite in the Tactics evenings. five new recruits came from West Point last week, from Boston also two musclions. Our company numbers 101 and is the company. The piece you sent about us leaving Boston went all over the company. Got the Aegis yesterday. I do not see many papers and would like a Worcester paper now and then. The New York Herald costs 5 cents here

 

We will probably stop here two or three months at the least. I shall get a pass some day and go to get a photograph taken. 14 are allowed passes each evening but we cannot go off all day only Sundays I have to write more letters than I like to but I have plenty of time. Some of my letters I think are not worth much this one for instance good bye

Jerome

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