No. 22

Camp Near Fredericksburg Va

Friday March 6, '63.

 

Mrs B J Riley:

 

Dear Wife:

Your interesting No. 11, of the 17' & 18' ult. has just arrived containing the glorious news of your good health, & many other items of importance to me. According to your desire your kind favor found me blessed with the best of health. I hope your health is still good, & that it may continue so. The health of Co. B is only common. There are some few cases of sickness among us. Two negroes in this Co. have recently died, one belonging to Arthur Massey, & the other, to Lt. Gibson. Massey's died with pneumonia, & Gibson's with inflamation of the brain. 

 

So far, as relates to sending you cards, it is out of my power to do so. Even if they were down to 50 cts. per pair, I could not get to market to buy them. If I was at Richmond or Lynchburg I might probably buy cards, at, I know not what price, i.e. If I had the money. I am tollerably short of funds at present, having sent you all the money except just enough to keep me sparingly in tobacco, paper, & such other things as are only essential these hard times.

 

I judge we will draw money again soon. There are two months wages due us, at $11 per mo. I will commence looking for those boys who went home on furloughs, in a few days. /

 

I mailed No. 21 to you three days ago in reply to your No. 10, which I rec'ed the same Inst; Also, two days previous to that I mailed No. 20. Therefore this is the third letter I have written you this week. Having written so often previous to this leaves me but little of importance to write you in this; though I hope you will consider it among many other unworthy Nos. from your devoted husband entitled to an Ans.; & not only consider it so, but give it a speedy one. My old ugly over coat that you & Gin laughed at me about so much is a great friend to me these cold days, when the wind is coming quick & the near way from Yankeedoodledum. /

 

No, I will not be allowed to draw for a furlough until all those get furloughs who have not had them since we came to Va. I do not think any of us will get any of us will get any more furloughs this spring, for by the time those get back, who are already gone, the fighting will commence, & we will have some thing else to do besides going home. Some are looking for immediate peace; I am looking for the hardest fighting to commence soon, that has been since the war commenced. Some, with whom I argue, call me an advocate for war; I tell them (to cut them short) that nobody but an idiot would look for peace now. God bless you. Goodbye.

                                               

Frank Riley

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