Saturday, Feb 20^th, 1863

Camped near Vicksburg

                                                                                   

Dear Mollie.

I have not had a letter from you for two weeks, so I thought I would write another I wrote one the 3, one 9..14 & this one. I was disapointed in not geting one this week. Mr. Vrooman got one this week, the folks were all well, she said she had not heard from you for a long time, she spoke about that reaping. Vrooman paid 50 cts on the reaper & 20 for that oil can, which will make 70 cts. I think he will pay me the balance when we get our pay, if we ever do. I begin to think we wont get eny pay as long as we are here. I think they are afraid to pay us on acount of dissirtions. there are a great many that say they will leave if they get their pay. I dont want much money while we are here, unless I could send it home, but it is hard geting along without any. I am almost out of tobacco & paper & no money to buy with, our sutlers havent had eny goods since / we have been here, that makes it harder for us to get along. some of our boys are geting better & some are not. Joseph Furgurson has gone up the river, Landon is geting better. Mr Buckston died last night, he was our sutler. we have lost one a day on an averege since we have been here. our regiment is being reduced very fast. we have only about 180 men fit for service now. we have had very bad weather since we have been here, it has rained more than half of the time. yesterday was a very warm pleasent day & this morning it is raining so you see it is very bad for those that are sick. a great many of our boys make themselves sick by eating. they lay around day after day & do nothing but eat, over load their stomachs & that gives them the diareah, & from that a fever & then there isent much chance for them here. I have found that I must be very careful what I eat & how much of it, our food is very strong, the poark & bacon is old / the beans the same, we havent had but a very litle beef since we have been here & what we have had has been very poor. our bread has been of various kinds since we have been here, the most of the time we have had iron clad, as the boys call them. lately we have had biscuit we call them here. if I was at home I would call them every thing els yesterday our cook baked some lite bread it was very good for the chance he had to make it. our regiment talks of buying an oven one that they can move with them it will cost $1,25 dollars. they think they can save anough in two months to pay for it. I hope they will for bread & vegitables is what we want. some of our men have got the scurvy & they must have vegitables or they will dye. I think we will have a new election of officers in a day or two Handy wants the office of Capt. but I think he is high anough for he has talked of recining for the past two months, & I am in for Landon Capt & Dave Rorick Second Lieut, I have heard / it hinted that the Colonel thought of puting a captain in out of another company. that sets prety snug on the boys. they are agoing to elect their man & then present it to the Colonel. I think it will make some difference with him

 

Feb the 22, 1863.

well, mary, the mail has come in to day again & no letter for me yet this is the third mail since I received a letter. I have been waiting with my letter, thinking I would get one from you, but it seams there is none, so I will finish mine, for the mail may go out to morrow. this is washingtons birthday they fiered severel big guns this morning. this is a warm pleasent day, the leaves are starting on the soft mapel trees, so you can imagin what weather we are having here. I havent much news to tell you. there is no prospect of our leaving here very soon.

 

no more this time. may this find you all well & harty & ready to take your rations, as I am, From Oliver to Mollie

 

I am well & harty & the children, good by to you all

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