Post Naval Accademy

Annapolis M.D.

Dec 21^st 1861

Dear Aunt

                                                                                                                        I received A package from you containing those mittens and papers and a letter the mittens are just the thing only fingers are a little long they are nice on the wrist and the yarn was what I wanted and could not get here there is a plenty of it here but I cannot get out to get it and if I sent by my own I might see it or not there is scarsely any one in the Reg that you can trust asside the officers and they do not want to be bothered with anything of that kind those cakes made me think of home it is the first thing that I have tasted that / has come from Mass there has been plenty of that kind of stuff came from there to the Co you can see how generous they are there is one Corporal he is an Irishman by birth he is a good fellow as I know of he is liked by every body that knows him he would give the last thing he had if it would do them any good we was reviewed yesterday and the day before we had a first rate time but we was tired as dogs we past round once quick time and once double quick and the march was a little over a mile on the reviewd ground making in all about 2 miles and a half and then it is two 2½ miles from here out to the ground we are going to camp out Monday we will not be in / with the 26^th that is the first Reg in the first Brigade and we are set now in the 2^d the 3 reg^t we have been knocked round here and thare all the time since we have been out here but we hope things will get settled pretty soon for we have got tired of fooling in in this way any longer. the expedition is to be ready to sail the first of January there is 14 17 vesels here now Steamers and a lot of schooners besides some boats for carring amunition for the expedition the order has just come to get our guns ready to charge if we do get into any fuss with the dirty rebels the 21^st will not be behind the fun a great ways when we get ready to start I will let you know if we have a chance to write I must leave this to fix up a little

 

sunday morning I will finish this letter we received our new rifles last / night and the men are all well pleased with them they are entirely new and they are not quite so heavy as the old musket that we had we are ready for fight now as soon as they get us some amunition I think that we shall not go into camp General Foster thinks that the men would be more likely to be sick if they did than they would if they was on thy way to the water good bye till next time I must go to church now

 

                                                                        yours in haste

                                                                                    William P

                                                                                                Hall

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