Edward's Ferry, Md.

Feb 17^th 1863.

                                                                                   

Dear Mother:

              I am still at the house from which I wrote my last letter, and am having an exceedingly easy time of it. My sick man is geting along quite well, but rather slowly. I have to do his cooking, and I can't help braging on my skill in making toast. After I get home, I intend to take all the responsibility of house work off your shoulders, and let you attend exclusively to the butter and cheese. Don't you begin to think I am learning considerable out here? It commenced snowing quite early this morning and has snowed fast ever since. I think there will be eight or ten inches / by night. That jaundice, which I spoke of, has left me and I feel as well as ever. My spirits are as good as they have been at any time, and I am well contented.

 

            I want you to keep up good courage about every thing for I have no fears but that we shall come out first rate.

 

            I have not had a letter since last Thursday night, and I begin think it is time for one. I shall look for three or four to night, but I am affraid I shall be disappointed. I have a fine chance to write here, and all I can say is, fetch on your letters. It seems to happen that when I have considerable many letters to answer that I have no time to answer them in, but I have pleanty of time here although I suppose they will call me back to the Co. again in / a few days. I rather think we shall moove from here in a few weeks. Rumors begin to grow kind of thick, and that seems to be a good sign. But there may be nothing in them.

 

            There are but few sick ones in our Co. now, and the rest appear to be in excellent spirits. To day they have been fighting each other with snow balls.

 

            When I went up after my dinner, the Cap't and Lieu't were out pelting the men and geting pelted in return. The opportunity for snow balling is not so good here as they are at home, so whenever a we have a chance we improve it. I should like very much to have you see our Reg't when it is on Battalion drill. It begins to make a good appearence. / There is somthing grand and statly in its appearence, which cannot fail to strike the most indifferent observer with admeration Even to those who are accustomed to such sights, the movements of a well drilled Reg't cannot fail to arouse a kind of military enthusiasm in them.

 

            This letter will not go out before the day after tomorrow and I shall write along as I feel like it. The mail does not come in every night as I stated in a former letter. It was a mistake. It onley comes in every other day I suppose you think that I have been homesick some, onley would not own it. But I have written about as thought and can still say that I have not regreted enlisting, and have fared much better than I expected. John. F. Libby

 

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I concluded to close this up now, shall write to Winfield soon

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