Convalescent Camp at Alexandria

Virginia December 10^th 1862

 

I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well at presant and hope these few lines may find you enjoying health and happiness I left the hospital on last wensday night rather sudenly I had just went to bed when I with about 60 more were ordered of we got ready as soon as we could when we marched down to Chester and left there about one oclock that / next morning we got to Baltimore about 9 oclock and breakfasted at the union Releif there we then took the cars for Washington we got there about three oclock that afternoon and staid there till the next morning about 9 oclock when we took the boat for Alexandria it was raining when we left Washington and it turned to snow in the afternoon we were kept out in the storm nearly all day before we got into tents and had to lay on the wet ground all night we have no fire in our tent wood is so scarce here that we can hardly get anough to do our cooking with we have to carry it on our backs about two miles and cant get any thing then but some small brush this is the most dessolate / country you ever saw I was out with a team for some wood about seven miles from here this morning and it is the hardest looking place I ever saw there is not a fence for miles around they have been all burnt by the army there is a great many forts around here it is only about 17 miles from here to Bull Run the camp where I am is about ¾ of a mile from the city of Alexandria and about two hundred yds from fort Ellsworth I would like very much to get back to my Reg^t as this place is not fit for a hog to stay in the camp has been condemned and they are trying to break it up as fast as they can the men here suffer a great deal from the cold as wood is so scarce and there is many / tents have no fires in them at all we have to do our own cooking here or eat it raw which ever comes handiest but I hope I shall soon get out of this place and get back to the regiment I have been in very good health ever since I came here and am getting along very well my self the cold dont effect me much and I think I can stand it as long as I keep my health I have not heard from any of my friends since I came here I have wrote home to wesley and I wrote yesterday to Hiram but I told them not to direct to me here if you write direct to my Reg^t as I dont know how long I will stay here and there is no chance for me to get any letters while I stay in this place but I will write to you again before long and let you know where I am I want to write home again as soon as I can get time I havent much time

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