Camp Near Fredericsburg, Va.

March 29, 1863.

                                                                                                           

Dear Sister.

               Your letter of the twenty second has not as yet been received and I rather think it has never been written yet. All the conclusion I can come to is that you expected I should be at home or start for home before the letter would have time to reach me, and for that reason did not write. Is that the right solution of the problem? I hope my last letter will set you aright and set you down to the table to write to me, as soon as you finish reading it.

 

            We keep having stormy weather. Yesterday it rained fast most all day. it will soften the roads so that / it would be almost impossible to get along with the transportation of so large an army as this. Old Hooker is adopting the South American system of transporting goods and provisions. You have seen pictures in the Geography havnt you where mules were used in the mountainous regions with big packs strapped to their backs, or else two big bundles tied together and thrown across the mules back, one on each side. That is the way a good deal of our stuff is going to be carried this summer.

 

            It is said we havent got to carry near so many rounds of cartridges as we did last year, that is sixty. I have heard we are to carry only twenty five, but I guess we shall have to keep our cartridge boxes full, and they hold forty. I have got the same ammunition now that I got in Alexandria last September when I left the Hospital. I have never fired but two / of them once on the battlefield of Antietam, the other after we came back from the battle of Fredericsburg. So you can see how much I have done toward putting down the rebellion since I left Annapolis. Dont you think I had better have staid there and took care of the sick where I could have been of some use?

 

            Now I think of it, I will write it, before it slips my mind. I want you to or any body that is going to Milford to get me a sheet of emory cloth and send it to me in a newspaper when you have a chance. I want it to polish my gun. I want the finest there is. I dont want this coarse stuff to rake out rusty places, for there is none of that on my gun. some about right to polish knives and forks would be right for my purpose. I have had some good sharp, fine emory paper that was first rate but its all gone now. after it was about half worn out it would put a polish on that would make / your eyes leak peppermint. There is only one gun in the company that looks better than mine, and that belongs to the Color guard. The sutler has emory paper to clean guns but its too coarse. it leaves scratches even after its all worn down to nothing. If you can send me some cloth I should feel very much obliged.

 

My stock of stationery is also getting pretty low too. Every body writes to me and there is nearly a dozen letters unanswered now that I have got. I owe Powers a letter that I must answer before long as I think more of him than I do of everybody. I think the best way to send paper and envelopes is in newspapers not fold the paper, just roll it up with the newspaper and send it in that way. if it comes in that way it will all come out in good shape. paper out here is awful poor, and awful high priced at that. sheets as big as house paper and about as coarse. We are going to have doughnuts and cheese for supper, if nothing happens. A Nigger was shot by another one last night in the thirty sixth regt

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