Manassas Junction Oct 2^nd 1863

 

Dear Wife

                        I received your kind letter of the 27^th last night. it found me well and on picket with my hors, the first time I have taken him out on Picket, and if I had a chance to pick a half day I could not suit my self any better. he is kind jental and will go where I tell him this morning I went a half mile to get some milk/ and when I came to a fence or dich he would jump over and away we would go just as if there had not ben any thing in the way and the more I use him the better I like him and if we have horses come from home the one that is sent to me will have to be a pretty nice one if I thake him in stead of this one. I call him Billy we have to pay 10 cts for milk and from 30 to 40 for butter. Eggs 30 cts so you see every thing costs twise as much here as it does at home. it is rainning some/ all day to day we have not had a rain storm in a long time. it looks now as if it would rain all day night the wether here is about as it is at home. you ask me if you may cut up my old over coat to make bubby some pants of yes if you want to I had thought of it before but I thought you would think I must be sick to think of putting such kind of cloths on him, but it is as you say the coat will mak him good warm cloas and I never should wear it any way. Sis how does my old boots last/

 

I have put in five dollars in this letter for you and I want you should pay Mr Coon and then get your self and Luie each a good thick pair of Calf skin shoes to wear this fall for you nead just such ones this damp and caching wether. now pleas get them as presents from me. I shall send you some more money in the cours of a weak. I have not got the box yet but I think it will come to night or to morrow. Mr Partradge got one day be fore yestarday from his woman. I do not know what to say about my stears for I have not sean them in so long. I think they they ar worth 60 dollars. I wish you would have lorance se them and then you can let me know what he sayes and then I will tell you what to do. but I must end for this time give my love to all this is from your Soldier Boy to his Sarah

 

                                                                                                Albert R Whitney

 

You tell me Uncle Dan is a bording with you I am afraid it will make hard work for you. I had rather hyer your board than have you do any thing more to hurt yourself. I must tell you not to do any thing which will make your back or sumack any worse. I do not like the idea of Uncle Dans being there just on that account. and then I am afraid it will mak a talk amongst the neighbors, and an other/ thing about your putting on two stamps on some of your letters. ar you oblijed to. if not I would not, for I do not have any postage to pay here. I got one the other which was marked six cents due but I was not asked for it, and there is no one that does and I would not pay six cents if I wer in your place for I do not believe there is any nead of it. Sis I wish you would have Deal write Edwins Post Office address in/ your next letter. Sis when I send my money home I wish you would buy me a good long pair of Rubber Suspenders, double them up in a good shape and mail them to me. if you will I will kiss you when I come home to pay for them and I will send you a presont pretty soon which will pay you four times over I shall not tell what it is but you will know when I send it. tell Deal I am the same Old Chick/ I was when I was at home onley 29 pounds hevyer hevvyer, and if she wants to kiss me she must wait untill I come home. I have got four double kisses layed up for hur but I will bet you would catch them first (dont you hay) but I will end for this time give my love to all our folks, keep a good shair of it to your self, so good by from You Old Man to my Sarah.

 

Sarah & Luie               Albert R Whitney/

 

well after stable call we got our dinnars we had a Johnny cake and butter, fresh pork and coffee. there is a grist mill about two miles from our Camp, so we go up to the Railroad where they onload corn and scrape up what we want. Charly and my self went up yesturday after we came back from Picket and got one bushel and a half of good nice clean Corn so we will have it ground to morrow/ we had a bushel ground about two weaks ago. it is nearly gon now. I tell you if we have not just lived on mush and milk and Johnny cake, ever since we got our Corn ground, we get what we call Condenced Milk. it is Cows milk boyled down as we boyl Sap. it is thick like Cream onley more so. it comes in small tinn Cans, at 50 cents a Cann. we take two spoons full of it/ and desolve it in a pint of hot water and when cool it tastes like any milk only a little sweater.

 

well after we got our dinnars we had to go out and drill two hours we had a nice drill for it is warm like Summar I could not ask for any nisear wether than we ar having now. Mrs Low sayes it has not been half so warm at home this winter as it is to day, but the roads ar/ dry and dusty a part of the time. I wish you would tell me more about things at home. it seams funny not to hear any thing about what is going on in Almond. Mrs Low told me more than I have hurd in six months before. Sis pleas do tell me more about such things. well the PayMaster has just come and we have signed the Pay roal. we will get our pay to night $26 dollars. so you may look for some money in my next letter. I shall not send it all in at a time for it may get lost

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