Annapolis Dec. 28^th 1861

 

Dear Parents,

                        I received your letter last evening and have got up this early this morning to answer it. I also received a paper last evening. Every thing goes on about here the same as usual. there is some change being made in the officers nearly all the time, either some resigns or else some one vacancy is filled quite frequently now. Colonel Thomas head, and the captains wife arrived here yesterday. I believe they are to stay until Monday. Yesterday was our day for target practice we went out from about a mile, near the creek; the target was set at the distance of two hundred yards; the was made of one board sawed on the middle and the two halfes fastened together. it was about two feel wide and seven feet long. / each man had five rounds to fire. two rounds were fired by standing up and firing of hand, of these two ronds, fifty balls hit the target, the nearest shot was about an inch and one half from the center and was made by Charles McCan, the next by his brother John. The next round was fired kneeling, out of the three first rounds, seventy five hit the board; more by ten, than any other company in the regiment. The next round was fired by file, that is, each man stood in his place in the ranks and fired two at a time the man in the front rank and the one that stands directly behind. the last round was fired by platoon that is, the company was divided into two parts or platoons first one platoon fired then the other, all together. the whole number of balls put in the board was ninty eight. The officer who went out with us Capt. Wells of E. and who has been out with other companies to arrange the target, said it was the best / shooting by all odds that had been done yet. and considering the day he thought it capital shooting. yesterday was a very windy and pretty cold day and we stood where the wind had a fair rake at us. You inquire about the sunday school there has been one established, but I have not attended it. we have bible class in our tent every sunday which I do attend. There is meeting in camp every night in the week two nights in our company tuesday and thursday evenings, thursday evenings in our tent, the meeting are all well attended, last thursday evening we had thirty two I believe. We have not had any snow yet of consequence, and it has not frozen hard enough yet so that that it would thaw out the next day if the sun came out warm, as it generally does, it is much like the weather we have the first of Nov. at home. You speak of wanting to send a box if possible. it might be possible but I hardly think it adviseable, although I dont know what you want to send. I think it would cost a considerable, and I can get along with out it, I guess. I dont know wether we shall be here then or not. probably not.

                                                                                                Annapolis Dec. 28^th 1861.

 

My Dear Sister,

                        I got your letter yesterday and it was a very nice letter for a little girl to write to her soldier brother. Brother hopes to come pretty soon to see his sister. Brother has no more time to write. Be a good girl

                                                            Your Brother. W. L. Savage

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