Rockland M.D. Nov 4^th 1862

                       

Dear Mother:

                     Having plenty of time this afternoon, I take the oppertunity to write to you.

 

            I am on Picket Guard to day for the first time, up some two miles from our encampment on the banks of the Potomac and canal, the strip of land between them being not more than five or six rods wide where we are. I was fortunate enough to get on the reserve where, if no trouble occurs, we shall have comparitively nothing to do, except stand guard for two or three hours in the twenty four.

 

            We have just been to dinner which consisted of hard bread, bacon and coffee. We cooked our bacon and made our coffee and after frying some hard bread in bacon fat we sat down quite proud of our first attempt at cooking. I think you would have laughed if you could have seen my comrade and myself taking our dinner, seated astride a log facing each other / each striving to do justice to a piece of hard bread and bacon which he held in his fingers. When in camp we have a knife and fork or spoon, as the case demands, but when on Picket they are dispensed with. I suppose we might take them if we wanted, but we dont want them.

 

            When I wrote last I was unwell having one of those ill turns which a change of climate and water are almost sure to bring uppon one.

 

            I am all right now and can eat almost as well as well as I could the last of the winter as I would soon prove to you if I could get into the butery and get hold of some biscuit and honey. I enjoy myself firstrate and time slips away almost impreceptibly and I find when I look back that I have been a soldier almost two months.

 

            Do not think for an instant, that I am striving hard to deceive you and myself, in regard to my being contented, for I am not; Nor / would I by writing this encourage others to enlist. While I would not recede, if I could, there are others who would probably give hundreds if they could onley get out of this show as they term it.

 

            The Co'l. said last night, we should go into winter quarters where we are and if all goes on well we probably shall.

 

            Our sutlers do a thriving business selling pies and cakes, and by the appearence, I think if we are paid of once in two or three months, some of our boys will not carry home more than they can get into their purses. We have some jolly times here; for instance one of our boys had been greasing his boots in the tent and left the dipper there, another observed it and swore by G— he was not going to have that in the parlor and so near the piano too! and seized it and carried it up to the cook tent. The firing which we heard to other day turned to be smaller than was reported 

 

when I came away from home I promised to write to a number but I have not writen to but five yet. I shall write every opertunity untill I have gone the rounds I get but little spare time now so I cannot write so much as I should like to do. Keep up good courage and remember that seven months will soon wear away when your soldier boy will be at home again. Tell Winfield to be careful of himself and not work too hard. I should like to have him send along those stamps as soon as possible for they are hard to be got here.

 

            My comrade is all I could wish—kind and obliging always. I could write for hours, but the sun is sinking and I must close. I want to hear from one of you as often as you can find it convenient.

 

Give my respects to all Friends and write soon                                                                                        

J. F. Libby

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