Camp Pierpont January 4^th 1862

 

Dear Sister

            I received your long looked for letter dated Dec 29^th 1861 in which I was glad to hear from you especially to hear that you were all well. you said you were looking for me home on Christmas I am sorry that I disappointed you but I could not get off we cannot get a furlough now but I will see how it is after payday and then if I can get one you may look for me to pay you a visit unexpectedly / but dont look for me untill you see me walking in for I disappointed you once

 

we expect to get paid pretty soon either this comming wheek or beginning of the next wheek I will try and send pap as much money as I can

 

Oh; dear Sister that I could only have it realize to me that my parents did not frett about me I could do my duty with a lighter heart for dear sister you know not how it pains me to hear of my dear parents lamenting and fretting for me. Oh; can they not content them selfs with there only son being absent from them for a few months or even a year when he is absent from them on account of our Dear Country being in danger of rebels inhabiting it with their unworthy footsteps should I not ask and have it granted to me for a few months absence in helping to crush down / this rebellion which threateneds to overspread our land and bring with it the hand of slavery-vice degradations amongst our civilized inhabitants. not only does our Country call us to the battlefield but also does God call us to leave our parents our wives our children and home and fly with the quickness of lightling to the aid and call of our country which is now in the utmost danger. The time has now come when we see the war is inevitable so let it come in all its fury and we the Royal sons of the old Keystone State will carrie it through and in the end gain the victory with all its honors that is due us. can I not then have a light heart to help in this noble work and I pray God that the time is not far distant when this rebellion which is now / waging in our land shall be crushed out and I shall return safe home to my anxious parents who is waiting patiently to see me. my sister I wish to see you all as bad as you wish to see me but I will have patience and wait the result I fear not the battle field if I fall I fall in a good cause if I live I live to see my country saved I care not for my life so my country is safe Pap whanted to know how I sleep these cold nights I can honestly tell you all I sleep as warm at night as you do at home. methinks I hear you say that is impossible but I will tell you what covering we have there are 4 of us in a tent in our tent we have 8 blankets 3 coverlids or quilts 1 shall and 2 oilcloth blankets we put the 2 oilcloth blankets under us and 1 quilt and the rest over us and we fairly sweat under them do worry about me at night we then have a stove in our tent /

 

[overwritten]

 

I am on guard to day there is snow on the ground here but the ground is hardly covered and it is fast going away this is the first snow we have had of any note we have had very little cold weather here yet

 

[margins]

 

John Mason was not in the fight our regiment was out but not in the fight John was on guard that day on new years I took dinner over at a private house

 

the difference between the Staff and Body Guard is the Staff are Officers that are always with the General. in time of a battle these officers which are always mounted carry orders to the different officers from the General the Body guard are a company that goes on foot and skirmishes around the General to protect him they are never in the battle but stays with the General a piece from the battlefield I am dressed in black pants a black blouse and black cap which hangs over before with a 1 for the first reg and and A for our company we expect our new coats next wheek. I am very well yesterday I weight my self and I weigh 156 so you may know I am whell on that weight when I left home I only weight 135

 

Give my love to all please write soon I wrote pap a letter last wheek but have got no answer yet

 

Show this letter to Mother and tell her to write soon with gods blessing on yourself all I still remain your Brother /

 

 

I will tell you how we drill and then at the hours you can see what we are doing here in Old Virginia

at ½ past 8 Oclock A.M. Guard mounting

at 10 A.M. Company drill till 11½

at 12 A.M. dinner

at 3 P.M. till ½ 4 Company drill with knapsack

at 5 P.M. Supper

at 8 P.M. Roll call

at 7 A.M. Roll call

at 8 A.M. Breakfast

and on Sundays inspection by the General at 10 Oc A.M. 

 

to day while on guard I had the pleasure of talking with Judge Taneys daughter he is Judge of the United States court I was on guard and they came to Head quarters they ladies stoped me and asked if we had plenty of stocken and mitts I told her yes

 

well good by on last Sunday Gen McCall and wife inspected us

                                                                                                           

Len /

SOURCES