Camp Folger  

Near Portsmouth Vir. Dec. 16/62

           

Brother Sam

                                    I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you. I wrote Sunday it being a week since I had written. I do not have much to do now and can write as well as not I am gaining strength pretty fast now. I lost 12 pounds while I was sick am on light duty now have to come out on dress parade which makes out my days work.

 

            This forenoon it rained some but has cleared off now and is pleasant again 

 

What made you trade off your grey I thought she was going to make a very valuable animal & how large are your steers do to drag with next year or are you going to turn them off for beef

 

Who offered you a hundred dollars for your sheep. how did Albert make out with his he took west

 

Mother wants to know what I sleep on. I have slept on boards or the ground until about a week ago when Hoff my bedfellow got a tick and I got it filled with husks it goes pretty well. There have only 4 men died out of the Reg yet but there is / one in the hospital now that they say wont live long. Poor fellow is homesick and has worried himself to death. The doctors say that there is not much the matter of him he has not eaten anything for more than a week he is a German. We have got one of the best Lieut Col. He is about as large as Uncle Ed. never says much but he is drilled about O.K. They all like him. The old Major loves whisky most to well. And the Col dont know enough about military to drill us You want to know how long we will stay here I dont know any thing about it. Lieut. Murray is on de- / tached duty and has been to Suffolk lately. He is down here now He says we will have to go there before long I hope not. He says Gen. Foster says he has got just room for us in his brigade He tried to get us in before but did not come it and I dont believe he will this time. But we will have to go where we are ordered I know one thing Col. Johnson will keep us out of a fight as long as he can. He would like to get back to York state as well as any one. Burnside is across the Rappahanock I am afraid he will get whipped but hope not. We get the tribune every day so get the news before you

           

Wrote soon. Love to all

Charlie

 

[side margin]

 

this is pretty hard writing but you write on a newspaper in your lap and see how it goes pen poor too

I got the Independent today

 

[front side and top margin]

 

I am getting out of money have got a dollar and half I dont but you had better send me a dollar. I get my shirts and drawers washed wash my socks myself The woman washes towels & hankerchiefs for nothing dont know when we shall get our pay

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