McKims Hospital. 1863

Baltimore, Md Jan 26

           

Dear Mother

                        I wrote Father last thursday and sent my picture which you probably have received ere this I intended to have written yesterday but I went out on a pass and it was late when I came back so I postponed it till to day. I received a letter from Thos Gay on friday he wished in his letter that I would call and see his friend J Baldwin of the 10^th rgt at the Camden Hall Hospital. I went on a pass on saturday and went to the express office and had them send to Washington for my box / as it had not come then which was about one o'clock I then went to Camden St to see this Baldwin but did not as he was not in I called twice I also went to the National Reading Rooms. Here this on files around the room from nearly every northern state and on the tables are books and magazines and checker boards. When I came back to Hospital I was handed a letter and informed that a gentleman from NH had been here to see me and that he had obtained a pass for me to go out at 7 in the morning and meet him at the Eutaw House at 8 from the description of him I knew it was Mr Morrill. And I also learned another thing, and that / was that my box had come in my abscence I went to the clerk's office and called for it but found that on account of my not being here to pay the express .38 cts it was taken back to the express office. Sunday morning I went and got my pass and went to the Eutaw House it was just 8 when I got there I waited till Mr Morrill got up when we had a talk awhile together and after he had taken breakfast we both went to the Camden St Hospital and there had quite a talk with Mr E. Fisk of the N.H. Battery who is acts as nurse here says that poor John was always cool in time of danger and that he had just as soon / go into battle smoking his pipe as any way This Fisk left the Battery sick soon after the battle of Antietam he belongs to the order of Odd Fellows and says he is well acquainted with Father after spending two or so here we went across to Camden Hall to see Mr Baldwin who is also an Odd Fellow I think likely that Father knows him though Mr B. did not mention it we stopped here awhile we went back to the Hotel and there by invitation of Mr Morrill we all took dinner at two there was five of us N.H. boys including Mr M. we had a splendid dinner consisting of roast turkey with oyster sauce, soup custard pudding mince and cranberry pie mashed potatoes and turnip fried oysters, cake and for dessert nuts figs oranges apples raisins. There was a firstrate bill of fare on the table. After dinner Mr Morrill

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