On the march,

Saturday September, 6./62.

 

Dear Sister,

                                    I have a few minutes to spare to write a few lines to you so you may know where we are. We may at any minute be called into line to continue our march so my letter may not be very lengthy, but if it is you must not attribute it to any neglect of mine. I guess I will give you an account of our movements since my last letter. I think my last letter was written Saturday a week ago, at fort Ellsworth. we slept / there that night and the next morning all that were able belonging to Couchs Division to get ready to march, so we packed our knapsacks and marched about a mile and camped the next night we were armed, the rain pouring down in torrents all the while. when the R.I. men went to get their guns I was at work opening some ammunition boxes and by the time I got through it was dark as pitch I went out and got such a gun as I could find. I got a Remington rifle a pretty little gun though heavier than the Springfield. but come to try our cartridge into it, it would not fit. I have it yet but / I should not be worth much in a battle but it will be changed I think as soon as I get where it can be done. we have staid only one night in a place since Monday. Thursday after I found the regiment. I got to fort Ethan Allen Wednesday and waited for it to come up till the next day when I joined them together with twenty seven others, including two deserters from Co I. Tucker and Haswell. yesterday afternoon we crossed over Chain bridge from Virginia into Maryland, marched within half a mile of camp Brightwood and camped about nine oclock having marched about twelve miles I should think. This morning we started again at six and / halted at half past nine. I suppose we are going to Poolsville, and perhaps to Harper's Ferry. we are now within nine miles of Darnestown. Some of our Co saw James Wilcox the day before I joined them they were on the march McDowell dont seem to stay killed does he I dont know as I can tell you how you may know when your eggplants are ripe, but the way they are cooked is to put them into grease and fry them the same as you would fry apples in pork fat. they are cut up in thin slices when to be cooked. I am sorry I cannot have the pleasure of eating any of your Sapsy's but perhaps I can sometime. I hear the rebel cavalry made a dash into Poolsville last night. Tell Elisha's wife she had better wait till I get home and then see if I have a southern woman.   Lowell C Cook

 

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I meant to have written a lot of letters this week but this is the only one

                                                                                               

L.C.C.

 

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You must not think it strange if you do not get letters regularly from me now for we are going to have hard work to do I think

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