Head-quarters.                                   

57^th Regt.                               

Washington City DC 

January 1^st 1862

 

            Dear Mother—A happy New Year to you! God in his mercy has spared my life to see another year began and also blessed me with good health and for these favors I desire to praise and thank him. I am sitting on a pile of cedar tops with my knapsack on my knees which I am using for a writing desk. It is a very nice day and Hurry and I are going to take a walk in the country and if we have good luck we'll get our dinner in some house or other. We passed inspection yesterday. We were inspected by a U.S. officer who held the rank of 1^st Lieut in the regular service. This inspection is preparatory to the getting of our pay, so you see we are going to get the "needful" in a few days. what'll be fatter? Eh?

 

I had a letter from Old Bob M^cNight. He is well and / if nothing happens he will go home on a visit this month he would like to see me but I cant get a pass from the Col even to go to the city much less to cross the chain bridge. He would come to see me but if he did it would interfere with his going home. In his letter he said he would like to sit with me on a log near Washington as we did once on the mercer road beside our drained pond!

 

Perhaps we will cross the Potomac in a week or so. Our Surgeon is a brutish unfeeling rascal but one good thing is that he will be ousted from office. We are just beginning to find out what kind of times are down here. Butter in the city is 25^cts per lb. a turkey is worth from $3.00 to $4.00. a goose from $1.00 to $1.50 ducks & chickens $0.50 a piece, so if a soldier get any of them for a New Years dinner he must pay for them. I can get milk however for nix from a union family who reside about a mile from camp. none of our boys know where I get it though and perhaps if too many would go none would get any 

 

Josh & John Snyder are standing guard to-day that is a new way of spending New Years day I hope sickness is not so prevalent in your county as it has been. I am looking for a letter from either you or uncles folks when the chaplain comes back from town this evening I think it is about time for one to be coming.

                       

As it is not long since I wrote to you and as there is nothing of interest so here goes to close

           

Nothing more

yours

J. D. Baker

private

Co F 57^th Regt PV

 

[sideways]

 

My respects to Mr G. A. M^cElroy tell him I'd like him to write to me & let me know all the fun and everything else

 

Remember me to Uncles folks & to Aunt Mary Jane

SOURCES