Boston Jany. 16^th. 1862

 

Dear Ro^s,

                        I was very glad to receive a letter from you Tuesday morning and glad to learn that you were where you would have so good care taken of you. It would be a great misfortune to you should your deafness continue but I trust it will not take good care of your self and favor it every way you can. Confound these army surgeons, one half of them are a set of ignorant rascals who have friends at "headquarters" to get them the places. I know of an assistant surgeon in a Me. Regt. who knows nothing about the business and who used to get drunk every other day. It makes me sick to / think of the rascality that is to be found in every thing connected with the Army, from the day laborer up to the Secy. of War. They deserve hanging more than Jeff Davis does.

 

Do you begin to be sick of a soldiers life? It must be homesick work when one is sick but that I hope you are not going to be a great while and a well man be contented a most any where. Keep up good courage, of course we all feel sad when we think of your going away but I am glad you are going and only wish I was with you. Do you have any idea when the Regt. will leave the state? How does Col. Dow handle his regiment? will he make a Col. good for anything? I hope he will but must say I should prefer to go under a little cooler more decided kind of a man. 

 

I received a letter from Abbie a few days since, all well. George has written me once, is too lazy to write very often. I presume you know more about them than I do. Abbie writes that Martin is the father of a boy some weeks old What wont happen next! He is right after them isn't he?

 

Nothing new here, only to-day the streets and sidewalk are glare ice, several have been quite seriously hurt by falling. Another decision on the Tip case has just been rendered in our favor. Goodyear & Co. will probably again appeal when it goes before the Dist. Judge. Mr. Moore has withdrawn from the firm. Chase McKinney & Co. is the style now.

 

It is very quiet at the store this winter. Fred and myself count a few tips, read the papers and so pass the time away from 8 till 6. I am enjoying myself / quite well this winter. I have a very good room a large stuffed rocking chair, a fire when I wish to have one and on the whole am pleasantly situated. But its no such a house as I was in last winter, a very different class of boarders There I had a chance to learn a great deal, here I hardly ever hear them discussing important events or see them reading book that amount to any thing. They are people that mean well but their tastes run another way. I have just finished the Life of Napoleon Bonaparte and am now reading a work on the present Emperor of France.

 

"All quiet on the Potomac" yet though the correspondents are predicting hot work within a few days. May something be done soon. Hoping to hear from you soon I will now close.                                                                                                       

Cha^s Chase

 

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Eat a good lot of Uncle Nathls apples for me

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