Camp near Portsmouth Virginia Oct 18^th/62

           

Miss Gillet

                                    Your kind letter came to hand a few days since and was received with much pleasure it being the first I had received since leaving home We anxiously await the arival of letters and receive them as a treasure for a word from home and friends is highly prised by all Your Brother is well also the most of those from Hopewell I am very grateful for your kind thoughts and patriotic wishes and trust our endeavors to maintain our Nations honor will not be in vain

 

We have recently received new tents in these we can make ourselves comfortable and we feel quite at home They are of the Sibley pattern and ours is large enough to accommodate all who came from Hopewell thus making those who were once distant neighbors members of the same family which we find to be agreeable and pleasant 

 

You may have been surprised at my speaking of that locket in my former letter but under the sircumstances I should have mentioned it sooner if I had seen a favorable opportunity I was once quized in regard to the locket and the person informed me your feelings were very much hurt on receiving it and your friends had requested them to learn if possible who placed it on the tree It is kneadless to say that they were poorly rewarded for their trouble and went away as ignorent as they came. If there was a misdemeanor in placing the locket on the tree I plead guilty I placed several presents on the tree to be distributed among friends and was charged with placing some there that I had no hand in those which I placed there were not placed there with the intention of wounding the feelings of those for whom they were intended and I believed when placing the locket there that nothing would be thought of receiving such a trifle from a Christmas tree and also believed it would be received as I intended it should have been in friendship /If I have been rightly informed I trust you will pardon me for the offence

 

            You spoke of the present you sent as a partial recompense if I had placed the locket on the tree for barter I should feel that I was very fortionate in trade but now prize it as a valuable and useful present

 

I appreciate your advice in regard to buying food and often see the need of such precaution among my fellow soldiers Our food is of a coarse quality but generally sufficient in quantity to demands supply the demands of nature

 

I often think of the the friends I have left and feel truly grateful when I learn their thoughts is sometimes shared with me

 

I shal be happy to hear from you when convenient

 

Truly your Friend

Russell F. Wright

 

Miss E. O. Gillet

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