Camp Pierpont           

Saturday Jan 4^th

 

Dear Sister

                                                                                    Your welcome letter was received I did think I would make you wait a while for an answer but I have nothing to do this morning and will write. It is quite cold this morning the ground is white with snow.

 

I suppose you had a pleasant New Year, did you receive any presents? I wrote a letter to Mother but forgot to tell her that I got one You could not guess what I received, so I might as well / tell you, it was my commission. I tell you I was glad to get it. I am now a Lt. sure, before, it depended on Gov^nr Curtin to say whether I was one or not.

 

            It is very dull in camp now scarcely anything to do and very little to read. to be sure we get papers but I would like some magazines or something of that kind. Chamberlin got two or three a few days ago we have read them twice and commenced again.

 

            We (Charlie & I) have a very comfortable tent now it is built of poles about as high as my head, got the tent on top for a roof / the cracks are plastered up with mud. have got the inside papered with illustrated papers. I have made a scetch of the internal arangements, which I enclose it is very corect, except it is on rather too large a scale. I wanted to get a picture with Charlie included but he started out just when the picture was being took. he is opposed to having his picture in posession of ladies Charlie & I get along finely I like him much better than I used to. in this country it is every man for himself but we go partners. the boys steal wood, plates, knives & forks &c in fact most every thing they / can get hold of, both from the officers and from each other. if they cant get found out it is all right. The officers to keep even steal from each other. Charlie & I have great times keeping even with the Cap't. we usualy come out best. We have now two blankets, three towels a looking glass, a blacking brush, and two pipes that belong to the Cap't. It was fun to see him running about one cold morning after he washed hunting a towel but it was no use and he had to take the corner of his blanket. I had not been an officer two weeks before the Capt had all my towels taken care of and several other things were missing in a short time, but I soon got them back with interest. "With these few remarks I close"

                                   

Your Brother

Jac.

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