Benton Barracks, St Louis Mo.

Feb 22/63.

 

Dear Parents and Brothers,

                        Once more with pleasure I take my pen in hand to drop you a few lines. I am enjoying middling good health at presant, and hope this will find you all well. I received yours dated Feb 14^th, glad to hear that you were all well. I made another exchange since I last wrote to you. I traded the Fife for the Bass Drum, and so far I get along very well. yesterday we went down to St Louis, on a general Review, we had quite a fine time, only it made me sweat a little to carry the old Bass. now then, I can tell you something, as soon as I quit playing the Drum, I am coming Home, whether I get a furlough, discharge or not. I am willing to stay and do my duty as a Drummer but nothing else. sorry to hear about Butts. he is not sharp enough, but he has as good a right to stick to it as any of us. I am just about half mad now. since I commenced writing this letter, I received a letter from Lieu^t Mann, now commanding Co G, 74, in answer to one which I wrote to him concerning my revolver. some time before I left the Reg^t the Colonel had the most of the boys give him their revolvers, and the old son of a B— lost / mine, so the letter from the Lieu^t stated that I had to lose it. if I ever get out of the Army and meet the old fellow I'll take the worth of my money out of his lousy old hide. I intend to write another letter to the Lieu^t perhaps today yet. he wants to know something about my transfer out of the old Reg^t into this. I can in a very few words tell him about it. the Secretary of War issued an order for to the effect that none but Convalescents in the Hospitals and Barracks could be enlisted for this Marine Brigade. Well, the Lieut says he will do all he can to collect the amount my revolver cost me. I am in hopes this war will close before long. the Rebels swear vengeance on this Brigade. they hate us more than any other Regt out, for they know very well that we are determined to keep the Mississippi River open. I should not wonder if we will be somewhat of a stumbling block to them, and I would not be surprised if we would stumble onto them at Vicksburg before long. I am looking for my pay now every day, and as soon as we are paid we will go on to the boats, and I dont care how soon that is. the weather is pretty cold here now, it snowed to the depth of about 2 inches last night. I would just as soon be here as in a tent without a stove in it, and I / believe a little rather, for we can keep ourselves comfortably warm and dry here, if we are not too awful lazy to chop the wood. Soldiering naturally will make a fellow feel a little lazy. I have quite a nice place to stay in at presant. the musicians all stay together in one room about the size of the large room in your house. there are 12 of us now. the Reg^t is not full yet, there are now about 7 Companies.

 

I have not been down town yet to see T J Albright, but perhaps I will in a few days, if I get time. I did not have time yesterday to look around much. St Louis is a very nice town, much nicer than Louisville. there were more flags flying from the windows than I ever seen at one time before. at some of the large buildings there was a flag flying from each window. we had a regular Jubilee of it. Gen^l Curtis is quite a man. some do not like him very well.

 

have you heard any thing of J Pontious. I wrote a letter to the Hospital to him but got no answer yet.

 

I am glad you sent me that $1, for I may not get time to get my likeness taken after I draw my pay, so I will get it taken as soon as I get my full uniform, which I think will be in a few days. /

 

One thing I want you to do, the money which I send to you, I want you to keep it yourself and use all you need of it, or put it in some ones hands where you can get it at any time.

 

Well I must close for the presant, for in a few minutes I expect to go on Dress Parade. Write soon, give my respects to all my old friends, tell Israel Sherry that I will write him a letter soon. I do not have as much time to write as I had in the hospital. I am sorry to hear that Cap^t Davis is dead. he was a fine man. where was Dan Uplinger when he died.

 

            but I must close,

                        I remain your affectionate Son,

                                                            Wm O Albright.

 

            W O A                         I have not

                                                received that

                                                Paper which

                                                you sent to me

William D Albright.               yet.

                                                M M B

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