Engineer Depot            Washington D C

                                                                                                                        Nov 16^th 1863

 

                                                            Dear Agnes

 

                                                this gloomy sabbath morning I again take a seat to write my regular sabbath letter. I am very lonesome this morning it is raining and evrything is so dull and I have not heard from Agnes for so long a time evry day during the past week I looked anxiously for a letter but looked only to be disappointed. are you sick or have you not received my letters that you do not write or has anything been said or occurred that you do not want to write. now dear Agnes tell me all in your next and I will be satisfied. I trust when this reaches you that all may be enjoying the blessing of good health and true happiness I still enjoy my usual good health. we have but very little sickness in our regiment. one death during the past week a young man he had/the fever. since I last wrote you our arms have been crowned with a victory on the famous river rappanhannock. we took nearly two thousand prisoners some artillery and made a clean thing of it in general took a ponton Bridge from them which they captured from us on the peninsula or rather from the regulars I think this winter will close this unhappy war and that by spring time those who are living will be once more permitted to return to their happy homes I have not yet heard from my brother and do not know what to think of his long silence now I tell you I am very lonesome this dreary sabbath could I but only hear from some one I love I would feel much happier. while thus spending my time writing I can say one thing it is the only pleasure I enjoy and it is another pleasure to me to know that I am writing to one whom I can and do love. I trust it is returned by a generous heart if it is let me ask that I may know; I have not a very comfortable place to write this morning as I am in the shop and it is very cold and damp my tent mates has some company and there is no room in the tent to write and they are smoking which drives me out I cannot bear tobacco in any way which it can/be used. yesterday we were paid up our last two months pay and to day though it is the sabbath many of the men are keeping up the fire by using what has been the destruction of so many of our race the noted whisky. now I used it sometimes before I was a soldier and have drunk it since I have been in the army but for some time past I have seen so much misery and so much harms done by using liquor that I have become a bitter enemy to it. and now my strongest drink is coffee which sometimes is very strong and at other times is little better than swill. well enough of complaining. It will not better it. I am sitting where I can see the beautiful potomac but how angry it looks from it cold ruffles which are tossing tow and froe over its surface if it could talk what stories it could tell not stories but what truth it could reveal of the past.

 

            My Dear Agnes I am getting quite chilly and will beg leave to close by sending my love to your mother Aunt Dan.

                        and asking you to except a large portion

                        from your true lover

                                    Frank C M

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