Headquarters 148^th Reg N.Y.V.

Camp Folger Portsmouth Jan 24^th/63

 

            Brother Sam

                                    I rec^d your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from home again. I would advise you that after this you seal your letters before you mail them. It had never been opened but was not sealed How much money did you send I got 10 cents out of the letter

 

It has been rather unpleasant weather this week wet and foggy I wrote home last sunday suppose you have got it before this Yesterday I went down to Fort Norfolk. saw Adams he is well. Saw the gunboat Patapsco go up to the Navy Yard the water ran right over her stern / She looks just like the picture of the Monitor. When I went back to camp got a nigger to row me out so I could get a fair view of her did not go aboard the port holes were open could see the old canon. John could crawl right in to one of them

 

            Not much news in camp probably you have read of the scare the city has had.

 

This morning I heard that our cavalry discovered two bands of guerrillas last night in the Dismal Swamp part of them mounted

 

I got a letter from Tom the other day. Lieut Brown's father is down and I am going to send a pipe home to Tom by him I suppose he will send it to Honeoye by Sisson from Canandaigua 

 

            I am getting pretty good order weigh only 182½ and gaining every day in another month if I keep on will come up to two hundred. Dr Simmons is vaccinating the whole Reg. I was to day. Harlow Beebe told me yesterday that he had a letter from home stating that Billy Ward Hank Denison Mark Knowles and one of the Jack boys had deserted and Henry Denison had been home and gone to Canada.

 

            Burnside is fighting again I hope he will be successful this time. We are having a tip top time here for soldiers. have been lucky so far. I am on guard to day had nothing to do so far only take a man to the guard house                

 

Love to all

Write soon—C. E. Reed

 

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I got a paper with pepper the other day

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