Camp Near Fredericksburg Va.

Jan 18, 1863.

                       

Dear Sister.

                                    I have just got through eating my dinner of fried crackers and salt pork, and will now sit down in my hotel to answer your welcome letter which arrived last Thursday night. The mail this morning brought me a letter from Mary Cook, and one from D. B. Moore, in Penn, one of my hospital patients in Annapolis. I never have been sorry of making his acquaintance for I have passed many agreeable hours with him which would otherwise have been perhaps lonesome. We happened to lie down together side by side on the steamer coming from Yorktown to Annapolis, got to talking over scenes and adventures we had each passed through / and upon the arrival of the boat at the Hospital we agreed to keep together in the same ward. He did not seem to get any better while I picked right up and at the same we both left our old quarters I to take charge of a ward, he to go into another where he could have the attendance of more experienced surgeons. after my ward began to have vacancies I got him back into my company, where he remained till he was discharged and sent home. He writes now that his leg still keeps improving and will probably get nearly as strong as it ever was

 

The weather still remains beautiful. yesterday was rather cool and last night water froze about half an inch thick but today the sun shines as warm and pleasant as need be. It is good nice weather for military operations and I should not wonder if we had to begin work before long. We got marching orders Friday night but we are here yet. The Lieut Col. examined our shoes and clothing pretty thoroughly this morning on inspection. He told Charley Covey (whose shoes were rather thin) that he must take good care of / his toes for, said he "if we go on a toot they will be rather cold in those thin shoes". I have heard it said that we were going to Front Royal, away up among the mountains somewhere but they knew no more about it than anybody was likely to know. Another story is that we are going on a six days march, but no one seems to know or care where or when we are to go. I dont want any better place than the one we are in now to spend the winter in but I suppose the war will never end unless we are up and doing. I got your paper the same day as the letter. There is quite a long article in it all about Col. Campbell and his regiment guarding the Baltimore and Ohio railroad I have not read much of it yet but I see it mentions our coming up there in October. We acted as a kind of second line of guards in their rear. we had considerable dealings with them at Hancock. Ma's comb she sent me I am very glad of. I have been thinking of sending home for one on several occasions but never happened to get to it. I sent something to her the other day. whether she will like it as well as I did her present or not I dont know but rather guess she will not. I should like to have / that pair of stockings sent to me that she mended for me. I haint got a great deal of skill in mending especially stockings. That needle book of Georges I have got. One of Arthurs girls who lives in Providence gave it to him it is quite a handy thing to have and if she will let me know where to send it I will put it going. It is quite a solid thing to send in the mail, weighs nearly a pound. You need not feel any alarmed about my being in Sam's company. I thought all he come to see me for was to get his watch. I have got the one I found yet, but I let a fellow take it on guard the other night and since then it has not run very well. I have not worked out Isabel's puzzle yet, can she make it out herself? I guess it will take me some time. I had almost forgot to tell you that we had been living rather high for soldiers the past week have had rations of flour potatoes molasses &c given out to us. I bought a box of baking powders and we made biscuit, griddle cakes, equal to some I have had at home we had soups with crust to it as light as a feather that went pretty nice but we have got back to hard crackers again now. It is said Col Viall has resigned but I do not know whether it is so or not. We have pretty good apples here pay 25 cents for five I have given that for three        

Lowell C Cook.

 

[front margin upside down]

 

I shall expect a lot of postage stamps in your next. I shall have to close now to put my letter in the bag

 

Every thing is cheap butter fifty cents cheese forty milk sixty a pint can and all other things in proportion stamped envelopes are 1.00 a package others a cent apiece

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