Camp Casey  Jan 26^th 1862

 

Dear Brother James

                                                                                                                        I have not received any letter from you since my last to you which was at the reception of your Box of good things. I suppose the reason of it is that your time is limited and have not had an opportunity. Yesterday was the long looked for Pay day and “Uncle Sam” made himself square again with the Boys up to the first of January 1862. Wilson received his twenty six and I my thirty four, for two months pay, November and December. We shall send it to you by Adams Express tomorrow thirty for myself and twenty for Wilson. I have a German friend in the Company who has no friends in this country, and did not know what to do with his money and has asked me to keep for him, and deposit it in some safe Bank where at the end of the war he can have it with the interest. he does not want to spend it, or use if foolishly. I accordingly send it to you, fifty dollars in the amount. Making altogether one hundred dollars I send tomorrow per Adams Express to your care. I have now over one hundred dollars in my pocket which the boys have given to me for safe keeping, and have refused as much more because I do not care to be responsible for so much at a time. I have given my German friend a receipt for the money payable on the / first of August. His name is Louis Volsen, a young man about twenty one, strictly temperate in his habits, and altogether a fine fellow. he seems somewhat attached to me, and has a great deal of confidence in me. It is the same one that lost his pocket book at east New York with twenty dollars in it. And I found the guilty party for him and secured the money so that he received the money on last Pay day. The Boys are very troublesome today and last night on account of drunkenness. I was turned out several times last night on account of the noise and disturbances occurring. We had a pretty icy time of it night before last. it rained very hard and froze as fast as it fell. our tents were a large cake of ice so that in the morning it was difficult to get in the street. We did not know but that we should have to remain in our tents when we first got up in the morning until the sun should rise and thaw us out. But after considerable exertion of kicking and knocking and finally with the use of the pick ax we made our way out in the open air where we found the ground covered with about three inches of ice. Our Orderly Sergeant has been sent to N.Y. recruiting with a Lieutenant and three other sergeants. they are recruiting for the Regiment. The Orderly being away I have to perform his duties and my own. and by the The wet weather keeps us from drilling considerably, mostly on account of the mud. Our first Lieutenant has not yet arrived, but the last we heard from him he was much better and expected to be here soon. Our Captain has not recovered sufficiently yet to come on duty But I think he will be able as soon as we have some / nice weather. He and Wilson seems to be great friends for now several days I have had to eat alone, and Wilson lives off to the Captains tent. he sends for him almost every day. Our Second Lieutenant has been in command of the Company ever since Captain has been unwell. I do not like him near as well as Captain or the 1^st Lieutenant. Your friend Simonson of Co H. is a Color Corporal from that Co. and marches every day with our Company. he is well and seems to enjoy life about as well as anybody. He asks about you frequently, and also that other friend that was put in the Station House at Pallace Garden asks when I have heard from you. The last time when I was on gaurd I had occasion to put down the names of the different reliefs and a young man asked me when I heard of from Jim. I forget his name now but he is very light complexion. He said he knew you and lived near your place. There is a report in a Baltimore paper this morning that General Casey’s Division is ordered off. if the report is correct we will go with them as we belong to his division. General Casey tried to get his division on the Burnside Expedition but did not accomplish it. Our Colonel is just as unpleasant as ever, whenever we it is so that we can get out at all we have Batallion drill twice a day. Our Company drills are mostly skirmish drills we like them pretty well because they are more exciting, expecially cold days we have so much double quick that keeps us warm. I received a harpers weekly from you a few days since. That picture of the hanging of Hanahan for Murder was but a little way from our encampment. we witnessed the whole scene. The picture is a very good one, a fair representation /

 

We do not think the war will last very long down this way. We think there is some big movement on foot that will tell before long. Keep your eyes open. Write on the reception of this I must close as time is scarce. The kind you sent is of the wrong sort. I am getting way behind with my correspondence especially Keyport and Jersey City letters. I had some difficulty in getting wilson to write at first but now it is no difficulty at all. I believe he writes more letters than I do. The Captain wants me to go to the City tomorrow to send some money home for him, and also for the first Lieutenant. I shall embrace the opportunity to send what I have to you. I shall mail it so that you can get it at the express office in New York. I think it is somewhere about 62 Broadway, or near the trinity Church. Adams Express. Paid.

 

                                                                        My Love to all our folks and

                                                            much to yourself, Wilson send a good

                                                            lot.                   Yours

                                                                                                Affectionately

                                                                                    Jonathan Sproul

                                                                                                Sergeant Co. C

                                                                                    87 Regiment N.Y.S.V.

 

P.S. We expect jolly times tonight as there are already several drunk—

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