Camp on Queens [corner torn off]

 

Dear Kate

            Your letter of the [corner torn]

to hand I received it after the company came in off Grand Guard ( we had been out from the morning before and we had a pretty cold time of it as we are not allowed any fires but we are getting used to that kind of work) I was very much pleased to hear from you for you do not know how bad it makes me feel when I do not get any letter for several days when I see all the rest of the boys getting their letters and I have to go without When you see Aunty again / [corner torn off] respects and [corner torn] what Company John [corner torn] is in so that I [corner torn] write to him. About them [corner torn] I think that I will wait a while. We are very busy getting out timber for our new tents and I think when we get them up they will be very comfortable as each one will have a stove in it, and we intend to buy boards to put floors in them. the weather is as cold down here I think as it is in Philadelphia and one year ago I did not think that I could lay out as we do down here without any thing but a blanket without it would kill me and I have not even had a cold / and have [corner torn off] the ground [corner torn] and storm [corner torn] felt it get up [corner torn] morning and shake and the only thing that would be the matter with me I feel devilish hungry and can eat salt horse or fat pork with the grease running down my chin (and dont want any mustard) and hard biscuit with coffee that looks as black as ink and tastes about as good and feel as well satisfied as if I had slept in a feather bed and had tea and toast for breakfast. We have the healthiest set of men in the whole division for we have only had two men to die and we only have about / [corner torn off] regiment [corner torn] while Birney's [corner torn] along side of us has [corner torn] a hundred and have [corner torn] on the sick list and [corner torn] are dying every day and they came out only the day before we did. we have had a good bit of bad weather lately and it is very disagreeable to be tramping around in the snow rain and mud for you drag it in the tents and it keeps them like a mudhole all the time it is raining right sharp now. We expect to be paid off next week and I expect that we will have a lively time here for about a week after as a great many men instead of sending their money home to their families run off to Washington spend their money and get drunk and raise the very devil and have to be brought back to camp under arrest. a New York regiment in our division was paid off this week and one of the Companies went out on grand guard they got rum and got drunk and one of the men was shot dead by a sentry. Write soon

 

I will send the money by Adams Express when we are paid in the Care of Kelly          

Tom

 

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Tell the boys that I am thinking of them. tell Johnny that [paper torn off]

a letter

 

[front side margin]

 

it blowed like the very devil New Years night down here and we thought that we would be blowed away

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