Cantonment Hicks. Near Frederick Maryland

Jan 15^th 1862.

 

            Dear Sister,

                                    I received your letter after waiting a long time. Indeed I thought that your letter must have been miscarried. But it arrived at last! I was very sorry to hear that Henry was sick. hope he will be able to get about again soon.

 

            We are having some pretty cold weather here at present. There is about to inches of snow on the ground which fell yesterday. I suppose it will all be gone in a day or two. But it dont trouble us much, for we dont have to drill any, and have got good warm places to live in. we get a plenty to eat and that that is good enough for anybody. We shall have a boiled dish for dinner to day, composed off corned beef, poark, potatoes, cabbage, and turnips, bread and butter &c &c. We are very fortunate in our mess in having a good cook. he makes first-rate bread!

 

            If you write to Mrs Kimball, tell her that I have not received but one paper from her and that one I got while we were at Muddy Branch, about twelve weeks ago. I will try and write to her soon. I hate to write to those that I have never written to! / does Alvah or Josiah Kimball hold any office in the 6^th Reg^t.

 

            You make several inquiries which I will try and answer. In the first place, it is about sixty miles to Washington from Frederick and 15 miles from the Potomac.

 

            You want to know if we have a table and chairs. we have boards that we put up for a table at meal times and chairs are an unknown luxury for a soldier, but then we manage to get along very well. we nail up boards around on the side of the bunks which answers every purpose.

 

            You inquire how I do my washing. I have done my washing in hot watter untill lately, but the weather is so disagreeable now that I hire my washing done. there is a man in our C^o that does the washing for the Company, so I get him to wash my shirts and stockings. he asks five cents a piece. I think it cheap enough this cold weather

 

            John Carr is not in the Regiment. he went into a Cavalry Reg^t some three months ago. I have not heard from him since.

 

            do you ever hear from Hiram. I wrote to him when I was at Muddy Branch, but have not received an answer yet. If you know his address I wish you would tell me what it is and I will write again! / I got a letter from Lizzie a few weeks ago. they were all well at that time. I must hurry or I shant get this letter into the mail.

 

            I want you to send me some postage stamps the next time you write. We cant send letters unless we have postage stamp on them, and it is hard to get them out here.

 

            We expect to get payed off in two a few days. When we do I shall send some money to you. It is about time for the mail to start and I must close.

give my love to all and accept this from your

                                                           

Affect Brother

William Carr

 

P.S. Please write as soon as convenient.        

 

I want you to tell me who backed that last letter of yours.

 

dont forget the postage stamps.

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