Arlington Heights Nov 30^th 1862

 

Dear Sister

                                                                                                            I received your kind letter about a week before we left Chicago, & at the time, little did I think I would be away down in dixie's land on the sacred soil of old virginia (about 4 miles from the City) setting in a tent, when when I answered it, but such is the case. we left Chicago Monday Nov 24^th & arrived to at Washington Thursday night about 10 P.M. we had a good supper when we got here, & good barracks the first night to sleep in. Friday the next day we marched across the Potomac upon Arlington Heights where we are now encamped. the first night here we had to sleep on the ground, because our tents were not here at the time. it was rather cold to sleep / to sleep out doors but they didn't (the boys) mind it much. we have got our tents now & are quite comfortable again. we are not in winter quarters yet & we dont know when we will be. I guess we will move some where before long at least that seems to be the impression at present. we dont know where we will move yet go yet. our quarters are not warm enough here for winter, one report is we are going to Alexandria about 10 miles from here to guard the railroad at that point. it is pretty evident we are exchanged or at least we all think so. we havent got our guns yet, but are expecting them every day. we had a pretty good journey here. we had passenger cars to baltimore & old freight cars the rest of the of the way. we came by the way of Toledo & Cleveland. This looks something like soldiering here. we can see tents & nothing but tents for miles around. we can see quite a / number of forts around here & there isn't a fence to be seen for miles around. every thing is striped & looks naked & bare. I went up to the capitol & went through part of it before we came here. I didn't have time to go through much of the Capitol, but I can say what little I saw of it, I think it is the most beautiful work of Art I ever saw. I suppose Edwin sent the dimentions of it when he first came here. The City isn't anything very extra, at least what little I saw of it. It was pretty clean. we could see lots of contrabands sweeping the streets & doing all the nasty work. I received a letter from Hattie yesterday. she says she has received no letters from me yet. I directed it to Geneva, she said in her letter that her address was Waterloo. You, or our folks I mean, I dont know but it will take you by surprise, but Will— / Church and I have made up our minds to send home for some things. you may think we are in a hurry about it, but there is some things we dident get a chance to get in Chicago. we didn't know we were going to leave there until 8 oclock in the morning & we had to leave at 12 & then after we got orders to go, we were not allowed to go down to the city. I would like to have you send my gloves, I believe Father took them, & also my vest, the double breasted one will answer. that is all the clothing I think I will want, as we are clothed pretty well by uncle Sam if you send those few things I suppose you just as live send a few more. I suppose you our folks & wills will will send the things in one box. Will has sent for some butter & I would like to have the honey honey & soforth. send things that will keep quite a good while. one boy had some things sent such as, cooked chicken & pigeons they got to Chicago just as we were going to leave so he sent them on & didn't open his box until he got here. the Chicken & pigeons were all mouldy so they were nearly spoild. I sent a letter to Lottie the day before we left Chicago. Postage stamps I find is are very scarce here. the boys are about all out of  money & credit is pretty well run out, & good stamps are scarce as I said before all the boys like to beg stamps now for they are out of money. I would like to have a few. we have not been paid yet, & we dont know when we will be. There is nothing of importance to write about at present so I will have to close with asking you all to write when convenient & Give my respects to enquiring friends & write soon to your                                                           brother Albert

Julia

[front upside down]

 

            Adr

P.S. Washington

                        D.C.

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