Camp Near Fredericsburg. Va.

March 8^th 1863.

                       

Dear Sister.

                                                Your letter of March 1^st arrived Thursday night. the paper did not get along till last night. It seems the tables are turned upon us now. the first picture you know represents America and Europe, while they are at war. we are furnishing them with arms, provisions, clothing &c. But now they are sending arms back to us. we have still to clothe and feed them if we have got a bigger war to carry on than they ever dreamed could be managed by us

 

It seems South Milford soldiers are getting furloughs about all the time. There was an order read to us the / other night on dress parade, that an extension of furloughs in some regiments would be made while in others there would be none, and in others they would be stopped altogether The Thirty seventh Mass. was included in the last mentioned, quite a number of men not having returned yet from the first furloughs given. Those that are to have the number of furloughs extended are regiments that have kept up their discipline through the winter and have conducted themselves according to military rules and orders. Three R.I. Batteries are in the last, and a good number of New York regiments.

 

The gallant Second was not mentioned These will soon have three furloughs granted, where before only two was given. I shall not try for one unless it is somewhere about the first of April.

 

What do you think come to me / last Tuesday? Come all the way from R.I. too, and come on a schooner at that. It was a box. There was two loaves of white bread four of five pies in it that were spoilt beyond all cure. there was some doughnuts that were not spoiled only a little mould on the outside but which we pared off with a knife very easily.

 

            There was a piece of cheese that was good, about a pound and half of butter, a couple pounds of loaf sugar, the same of coffee, and a lot of apples. some of the apples had rotted and the juice of them leaked into the other things which made them mould. I was glad to get things, you may believe, but I should like it better if they had not got spoiled on the way. the things started two months ago from Providence and came to Acquia Creek at the time the ninth / Corps went to Newport News. the greater part of the R.I. men were in that corps, so the vessel followed them there before they would unload the stuff that belonged to this regiment

 

I guess I shall have to come home when they have drafted the next six hundred thousand or there will not be any body to take care of the girls The President haint scarcely any power placed in his hands now has he. there is one little sentence in your letter I dont understand. You say Eloisa has got back &c what does it mean I suppose you told me in the letter I did not get. Deck will have to take Parkman over his knee wont he if he dont mind. Orderly Wood is nothing more than Sergeant Wood. I dont know whether Greene's appointment is knocked in the head or not. he is orderly again the same as usual. It seems Gov Sprague has resigned to take his seat in the U.S. Senate. I am glad of it. We have been having all sorts of weather lately, fair when we go to bed, not a cloud in sight, before we get to sleep raining. This morning we had some thunder.

 

 

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I got four postage stamps in your letter. Lowell C Cook

 

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I had a letter from Moore last night. He says he is as well as ever again.

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