Camp at fairfax Station Jan 15^th

 

Dear Mother                                                              

I recd your letter of the 11^th last evng was verry glad to hear from home I began to think I had been forgotten by friends at home and in fact by all as I have not heard from Conn for over a week before I got yours I hope you will not credit the stories you hear about our being sick I am so as to be around to be sure I have been under the care of our quinine Doctor for the last three days but I hope to be better by the time you get this I have what they call the chronic diarrhea the boys may write that I am quite sick but you need not believe it till you get the official news from me Robert Allison says that he is well all the trouble is with him that he can eat from morning till night and not be satisfied Orderly Sargeant Henry S Geer of Cromwell the one that enlisted me is but just alive they have sent word to his father Abiel Geer our Captain F A Parker has resigned and gone home we are sorry to have our officers leave for we do pride our selves as being the best company in the reg or brigade Slocum Division had orders to move at twelve hours notice with three days rations in our haversack and eight in the wagon making 11 days in all where we are going we dont know / there as many stories about our destination as there is many men in camp if we have got to march for my part I dont see as we can go for it is awful muddy the 13 New Jersey are in our Division a good many of the boys as they passed us (the 20^th Com) sung out holloa Palmer how come you in the 20^th I could not recognize but two and you know them John Twitoutes brother about Loomis age and Elias Bolen the one that was around with Jack Charles so much they came out last Sept I have written in two of my letters that Loomis wrote to me on Christmas he was well but not verry contented the Army is getting discouraged they are some deserting in the 20^th evry week three have left Co G four Co D and two Co F they have all got home our officers say that if the govmt dont pay off before long it will be hard to keep the army together five men in the fifth Conn came and told Col Chapman that they had fought long enough without pay and had come to give up their guns the Col thought they were fooling and told them to go ahead they did go and have probaly got in better quarters ere this

 

            Adieu

 

[bottom margin upside down]

 

I will mark my letters this will be No 1 then you can tell whether you get them

 

[top front margin]

 

Number one my next will be No 2 it will be well for you to do the same

all send love [?]

SOURCES