Camp opposite Fredricksburg Va.

 

Sunday Nov 30^th

                                    My Dear Dear Darling Wife

Since I wrote last I have received two letters from you one dated the 20^th I received last night The other dated the 16^th I received a day or two ago I am glad the anxiety which you manifested for me in the first was relieved when you wrote the last I would write more often but it is cold weather & we have to work a good part of the time. We have more leisure now than we have had In fact every thing is more cheerfull for we have moved out of the mud hole we occupied when we first came here we have got new shoes and plenty to eat and last though not least we have got our shelter tents I am writing in one now They are considerable “to the purpose” I will give you a description of one They are built of three peices & three occupies a tent two peices makes the roof and the other the end The other end we leave open The size of a peice is two yards square The material is thin cotton Drilling When we march each one carries his peice. The shoes we were sorely in need of some of the boys were barefooted strange as it may sound I would not tell of it but that we are well/shod now The undersigned was very happy to get a new pair & I hope this war will end before they are worn out so that I may wear them home & let you see them They were the only pair of this kind given out to our company They are of English manofacture & were taken on board of some vessel that attempted to run the Blockade They are pointed toes and alltogether are the most ludicurous looking things you ever saw But I took them of choice because they will wear longer than any others Last night we received the sad inteligence that two more of our number were dead Jesse Maine & Henry Brown more would have followed them if we had not left the mud hole we have been occupying as it is about half of the company are sick but they begin to brighten although we have been on our present ground only since Thansgiving Thansgiving what a word that is for me to be writing Tell me how you spent your thansgiving. Mine passed off as any other day except that Ed Wheeler and me got a pass from Gen Harland and went to Falmouth our business was to by something for thansgiving But could not find scarcely anything eatable we purchased some Pies and apples & some meal of which of which we made Johnny Cakes for two meals They made us think of home while eating them Meal is ten cents a pound Flour the same & Tobbaco sells for whatever they have a mind to ask for it You spoke of sending me a box you cannot imagine how acceptable one would be when it could be possible for me to receive it if that time should ever come there are plenty that would like to have things come with mine Mrs Robert Wheeler wrote Ed last night that they had sent him a box in which were some things for John B.B. and that Mrs Cyrus Brown was requested to notify you if you had any thing to send you could send it in his box But they probably neglected to tell you By the way I have at different times sent two notes to you in John’s letters written to Sarah Ellen/have you ever received them I will tell you what you can do for me that I should be very thankfull & gratefull for every time you write enclose a little of either of the following articles not enough to make any difference in the postage speaking of Postage those Mittens (which are doing me such good service) through the Ignorance of the P.M. you paid about 6 times to much postage on Remember in future that Soldiers Packages are carried through the mail securely sealed at one cent pr ounce But about the things to enclose the following are a few that we cannot get here at all and a little would do us much good—Tea, Mustard Seed, Cayenne-Pepper or Red-Pepper-Pods, Ginger, Sage-leaves, or anything of that kind I have been unwell about a week nothing serious though nothing but the Dyspepsia I have nearly cured myself now I took Quinine, a medicine they prescribe for every thing out here You wrote of hearing of Hawkins death of the yellow fever at the time you heard he was dead he was enjoying good health But he is quite sick now not of the yellow fever though I don’t think we shall be troubled with that as long as the present weather lasts It is cold enough at times to freeze the very Devil. Asher Palmer returned from the Hospital at Washington where he went the same time that Clint did He reports that Clint is fat as a Hog and will probably be with us in a week or two I had a letter from Edwin he writes that he is getting better but is lame I am writing now under peculiar circumstances & have got something in my eye & have put in an Eye Stone to get it out My letter must be finished to go to night if I cant use but one eye We have just learned that we have got to lose one of our mess Ed. Wheeler has got to mess at the Colonels am sorry to lose him he is a good fellow very willing to help about cooking or any but very “unhandy”/

 

I think we shall get “Gen Putnam” to take his place I dont know as you know who Gen. Put is out here it is Herman who by the way turns out to be a very clever fellow But he still carries his head on one side. We have just had for dinner some Pork & Beans baked which we cooked ourselves though it so happenes that we do all our cooking now our rations are dealt to us raw and we cook them we have done so ever since we left pleasant valley Dont think though because I am getting to be such a splendid cook that there is no necesity your perfecting in that line as you proposed to do while I was gone You must be changed in appearance very much if you have grown fleshey If possible you must be more beautifull but be it as it may I should like to see you Oh no I guess I shouldn’t But as you say it is useless to wish I will wait as patiently as possible for the time to come when they will say to me go home we need your services no longer Oh how much would I not give to come in & see you & mother My love to her Tell her to take good care of herself and I will come home to bless her in her old age                   Court

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