Engineer Depot Washington D C

                                                                                                Apr 10^th 1863

 

                                    My Dear Agnes

 

I am seated this sabbath morning to write my regular weekly letter which is my greatest pleasure during the week you are not absent in my mind I am always thinking of you but much more on sabbaths as I have more leisure time to my self and think how pleasant it would be to join your company to day but as we are deprived that privilage I deem it a blessing to be well and able to use the pen. since I last wrote I have taken the measure of two more of my comrds for their coffins one of them you have the photograph of it is the smallest one you have he is sanding when it was taken the other died last night he was a new man never did any duty in the company it falls on me as a general thing to attend to getting/the coffins or partly getting them we have sent two of them home and will send the present one tomorrow we get them nice plain coffins and send them by express which costs us about fifty dollars for each one. that is one hundred and fifty dollars we have made up in our company in less than three weeks but for my part I do not begrudge what I have paid. I have given five dollars and would give twice that rather than have them buried here for it is a consolation to their friends to know they are nicely buried and that they themselves can be present. the weather here is very dull this morning it commenced raining yesterday noon and rained very hard during the night this morning it is not raining but is not clear though warm and foggy Agnes I expect we will have to go in the field yet this summer as our captain will very soon leave us for promotion and then I think some one of the senior captains in the field will get this post but do not know yet for certain but I will not complain I will serve out my time as pleasantly as I can/

 

I have joined a society here I do not know how it will meet with your approbation but think you will aprove of it I am going to join the free masons lodge it is an ancient society I have been thinking of joining for some three years back until the present have had no opportunity. the sun is comeing out very beautiful and we are going to have a pleasant afternoon I must hasten a close in order to send this by to days mail. I have no war news but will send you this mornings paper.

 

            my love to your mother  Aunt C  Dan

            and others hoping soon to hear from my

            loving Agnes..except the love of your

            true and affectionate lover

                                                F C Miller

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