Call LaRoy, he will kindly read this war document  Alexandria Oct. 18^th 1862

for your benefit for verily I believe no one else can decipher its mystic tracings

 

Dear Sister

                        What is the good word with you now and is the weather pretty cool in Waltham how is Thoma has she her skates ready for winter Give her my kind regards.  You ought to see my apple dumplings I make them for my own eating just as large as Mother makes those for the whole family.  The boys all declare that they are just the thing could not be any better.  I shall venture on the making of buscuit and jerry cake just so soon as I can contrive a baker.  You see we have no material to construct any thing of I expect I shall be a handy boy to have round the house when I get home Nights are now quite cold overcoats comfortable if the are good and thick.

 

George looks grand in his new uniform.  I am glad of his promotion.  It is easier for him, he can get better food to eat.  Commissioned officers can buy anything in the rations at the commissaries, jet tea, sugar, fresh meat, potatoes & just at cost prices to Uncle Samuel George is now attached  to company B of Holliston.  I have heard many of our

company express the wish that he might be changed to our company.  Our Captain Flagg is off for Massachusetts to recruit for the regiment.  Flagg was wounded at Lan Oaks June 25^th.  He returned to us just before Hoyt did.  Captain commenced immedialey to arrange the affairs of the company and see what we required and tryed to provide us with what was needed The company like him more than we do any other officer we ever had when he returned to us he came directly to our tents passed in to them all shook with every man spoke a kind work to each one and all this before he saw the officer of the regiment as the company from which he was promoted (B) The boys were pleased to see him and he appeared really pleased to see us I do not remember of any other man doing that.  They’ll come and stick their heads in to the tent and that is about all.  Would’nt yuou like to see the men preparing there rations, boiling potatoes, making soup milk toast, tea or duff and souce with no other implements than a tin cup knife spoon, fork, plate. let me tell you about my first dumpling  I thought of it some time before I could get all things together.  I got apples on picket. flour from the mill. yeast from Washington OCO no trouble in getting the apples ready or in mixing the flour. I had a three pound flour bag to boil the affair in so I made my dump. rather long for the distance through. _____ all ready to put in the bag. now comes the try I push a trifle on the yealding mass my fingers go in to the dough but the dough does not go in to the bag. I try next by pulling on the bag that  appears to work better so I struggle along slowly, gaining on it at each pull after a half hours work I get the duff out of sight and in to the bag There you be, says I to myself wih a feeling of relief, softly into the bag now for the boiling picking the thing up I struck my hand against the bottom of the bag and lo and behold Sis all the dough was at the top and all the apples at the bottom _____  out I was alone.  The thing was soon on my plate agan next time I cut in two or three separate ones and all went well the bag was all the thing that I had fit and that proved too tight a fit.  Fun & cooking forever.  My love to Mother I  am ever your friend & Brother  Charles

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