Suffolk Va. March. 16^th 1863

 

My Dear Dear Mary

                        We have moved again. I received your letter of the tenth last night was happy to hear from you but no more so than usual Last Thursday night about 10 oclock we received orders to be ready to embark at an early hour the next morning In common life a person would have been wakeful the remainder of the night on receiving so short notice to leave home and all its comforts & embark perhaps on their death journey But a soldier takes things differently I stept soundly till 7 oclock/the next morning arose prepared the farewell breakfast for we five eat packed up my good clothes & crockery or rather tin ware with Salt hoss & such stuff enough to live on for two days. Packed our things we had from home into a box and left them with the Suttler for him to bring along.

 

March 19^th 1863          I was compeled to leave off Tuesday night to attend to the removal of Anson Davis to the hospital after that was done I had not time to finish my letter that night The next morning our Co. was detailed to build a bridge which we worked on for two days Well that brings one to this morning This morning I was detailed to go to the city after a coffin for Davis who died yesterday This afternoon I will finish               CGS/

 

No 3

Your very good letter by Frink I will answer first about the box The Express charges on the box were one dollar I saw the bill half of that would be 50 cents Well the ballance which he charges would be a dollar I dont know what that is for unless he intends to give it to White. But he should not have any thing he was not a particle of benifit the Boxes got here safe long before he did & we had nothing of any account left when he went away We kept two of them while they staid & they eat up about all we had White did not stay with us though he lived on the Lieutenants & then I expect charged them for bringing their boxes/It’s a regular speculation his coming out here allthough he may have benifited us the first ones he brought But he makes $100. dollars every time he comes I did not know untill the other day that he charged so much for taking home a body But you must say nothing of what I have written If Cy paid him a dollar each time he came I dont know but that I ought to pay Cy what he paid him this time. But I had rather that White should know that I paid it About promotion. I dont expect now to ever jump John but to tell the truth I expected to have been promoted first & had the promise of it but promises are easily made and as easily broken The boys said when we came in from dress parade after John was promoted/

 

No 4

that they expected I would have been orderly I fitted my self long ago for that position There was nothing about it but what I could do & that is more than he could say I could call the roll from memory & he had to read it from the book for a long time & I could make out all the reports but never mind he & me are good friends he has scacely a secret from me reads his letters to me he Showed me one from his father the other night saying that he thought he ought to be promoted & that he would do any thing he could to bring it about he would even see Gov Buckingham about it as you know all the Commissions come from him/and friends at home frequently do more than a man can do himself for instance John Trumbull came out the same as me he is now a first Lieut. all done politicaly But dont despair I will have promotion if I (have to) earn it on the Battle field John has applied for a furlough & will probably be home soon He says he is going to get some f____ & sometimes speaks to me jokingly of you in a manner that I do not like Remember old times & be on your dignity not that I am afraid to trust you dearest but he has at times forced himself upon folks enough to cause “talk”

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