Falmouth Jan. 20^th 1863

 

Friend William

                        I will now try and answer your kind letter which was duely received. I was glad to hear from you and to hear of your good health. I am in good health, spirits &c. one thing I have got about sick of that is "Soldiering". I have got entirely sick of that. I prefer a good old home than these little small miserable tents. Well they look more like a toadstool than any thing else. and I guess if you could just look in and see us you would think we was toads or something else. they are about 4 feet high / and long enough for a man to sleep in (or three or four men) we have fire places in our houses made out of sod. we have pretty good fires. you can imagine how we look sitting in our little tents before a fire makeing coffee eatting hardtack and beef &c. this is the way we live. we do the best we can keep up good spirits and march on to Victory. Well Billy I suppose you are attending school nowadays are you not? and going to the Singing School also. I should delight to be up in the good old town of Westford and go to the Singing Schools Partys &c. I must tell you something about the school at the Institute Reeds Ferry. they are / having a fine school there now. there has been a school there most all winter. a school came down from Amherst called the "Hillside School". they moved every thing they had moved them into the Institute. there is about 35 scholars in all now. next term they expect 50 scholars the next term commences Feb 1^st. I wish I was there I think I would go. I know there is never enough of it. I will send you a bill they have got up showing the different branches taught &c. Allen is trying to get up a singing school the Principal is a fine singer. I hope they will get up a singing school whether Im there or not.

 

We are expecting to march / again every day and where to we know not. some say we are going to cross the Rappahannock again and some say "going to Richmond". We heard we was going towards Washington. I guess when we go there again we shall get our discharge and go home. the Batteries have been firing all the morning so I think there is going to be something done some our Reg't went on pickett this morning going to stay untill tomorrow morning. us Drummers and Fifers dont have to go we dont do any thing at all. I rather be a Fifer than a Private and carry a gun and go in Battle we dont have to go in Battle. (Skeedadle) we keep back /

 

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Well Billie you see I have got this sheet about full so I must close. I have written in a great hurry as you can plainly see so excuse mistakes &c. I shall expect to hear from you soon. Give my respecks to all the folks with a share yourself. GoodBye

                                                                                               

From E. P.French

 

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Wayland is well sends his respecks to you

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