January 16^th 1863

Camp near Fredericksburg Va

 

Dear Sister Annie

            I received your letter in answer to the letter I sent by Capt Clapp and right glad I was to hear that you are all well the last letter I had before this you were sick with some of the rest of you I have been well all the time I have been out except a day or two to time but never so but what I could be around and attend to business. I have all of the boss work to do, buying goods and such things. so it makes it light for me. Mr Cummings is gone a good deal of the / time. he has two Nigs to work doing all the hard work and 3 clerks under me. we have a good trade now but is very hard work to get goods here. things are very high here. Apples are worth from 8 to $24 Dolls per Bbl, and so on.

 

John Short is down here he is with the sutler of the 16^th Conn Regt Mr Doane from Voluntown.

 

            Father would not like this business, neither could he stand it sleeping on the ground, living on pork and hard tac half of the time. Hard life this is. But I shall not come home to stay untill I have some money, more than everybody in Brooklyn / has. the are all of them hypocrits, not a friend to one of them. some that I supposed were good friends are nobody. Hiram Richmond has been a good friend to me since I have out. he wants I should stay with him in his tent night and wants I should come in and see him often but Rum will bury him and Harry. they are both of them as bad off as Mr Tanner was they are sick if they cannot get liquor. But dont you never tell a word what I write. Tell Amos I wrote him three letters and never have received one from him and / not received any papers from you lately. it dont make much odds whether you send any or not as the seldom ever get here. Wilbur sent me a lot and I never got any of them. Tell Amos I will write him in a few days and he must write me if I dont soon. Phillips want so smart as he thought he was. he dont know much any way. I will show them a few kinks when I get home If I succeed this winter and spring tell Father he had better sell out and hire a farm somewhere and not stay in / in that old tavern any longer than spring nobody in town care how he or his family gets along but never mind every thing is as it should be. all will be for the best in the end. in my next letter I will tell him all about what we are doing.

 

They expect another battle here soon but I do not know whether they will or not I hope not untill spring.

 

I must close now as it is nearly time for mail

 

Give my respects to all

           

From your aff Brother

Henrie

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