Washington D C

                                                                          Jan 29^th 1865   

 

My Dear Agnes

this beautiful sabbath morning finds your lover pleasantly seated to write you a short letter hoping it may soon reach you. what a short month this has been to me spring will be with us before we are a ware of it but I have said it cannot come too soon for I am anxious to return to my home in Williamsport and get settled down though I am going to be put to a test to make my means meet certain points that I have in view but I will do the best I can and some of my friends will have to help me a little/as they have promised to do so but I do not depend up on friends much as at these times it is evry one for them selves. we are having very cold weather here the potomac is frozen so hard that vessels cannot run and the Washington folks are beginning to feel it as there is not much coal here the gas manufacturers say they cannot furnish gas more than two or three days longer so I think we will be left in darkness as well as in the cold. there was a large fire here on last tuesday evening or rather afternoon the Smithsonian institute burned down or nearly all of it the library I believe was saved but the loss can never be replaced for many of the articles were of ancient manufacture and from other countries I was not down to the fire/but could see it very plainly as it was an immense large building and in it was a greatdeal of combustible articles which made it burn very rapid. Dear Agnes I have not much news to write you only that our army is being very successful and think this war will not last much longer I hope not. I would love to spend this sabbath with you. I often think of you and wonder if you think of me but I know you do well if we live in a short time we will join heart and hand to try the fortunes of this world it is a serious matter to study on but as for me I have given it many hours of solemn sober study and have made up my mind fully to settle down and try to make each of us happy. I trust my Dear Agnes you too have studied it well and hope when the time comes that neither of us will regret/our union. I have now written more than I had thought to write and will close by sending my love to one and all except the love of your true and affectionate lover

                                                                        F C Miller

                                                                                    to Agnes F. Voris

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