January 6, 1863 near Stafford Couth House, VA

Camp 11th Regt. Conn. Vol.

Near Stafford Court House

Jan. 6th 1863

Dear Brother,

I have a little time now and will commence a letter but shall not finish this big sheet in some time as we have to drill four hours a day and that besides cooking our own victuals takes most of our time but we live easy enough for our good. I am well. so are all the rest of our mess (Charley excepted) he is still in the hospital I have heard nothing from him in a week or so. The weather has been astonishingly pleasant for the season having had no storm with [undecipherable words] in four weeks. Today it is cloudy and sprinkles a little now-think we shall have a storm now and if we do we have nothing to complain of as I never saw such weather in winter before. Our rations are also abundant of the kind-they consist of pork, hard bread, rice, fresh beef as much as half the time coffee, a plenty beans occasionly and sugar rather scant. We have drawn three potatoes at one hand and five at another and six or eight onions since we have been here so - all our vegetables are pretty few I felt the need of some so much that I have paid five cents apiece for several apples and think they do me that worth of good. I have received no letter from home since I wrote to [--not] in that I said I intended to go to Falmouth sunday or monday. I went yesterday (monday) and don't know as I can write anything more interesting to you than some things I saw there. In the first place it is no small job to get a pass. I had to apply to Lieut. Blinn three days before hand for it and after getting it from him take it to the Col. to sign-from there it had to go to Gen. McClean and last to the Provost Marshalls to enable us to pass the pickets. After getting our pass all right on sunday we started monday morning a little before five and walked five miles to the Station. from there took the cars it being a government road had nothing to pay. We found Charley eating his breakfast. after he finished we went down to the banks of the river which is not more than two thirds as wide as the Housatonic at Meadow Orchard and saw the rebel pickets close to the brink on the other side: they are very friendly with our pickets and say if we will throw our arms into the river they will follow suit and if we will bring Horace Greely and hang him on this side they will bring Jeff. Davis and hang him on the other side. The rebel batteries and rifle pits are in plain sight as are encampments and camp fires. We could also see some of the destruction that our shot and shell made among the houses of the city. The artillery boys said they had gay fun through the fight as they could fire away and the rebels could not reach them When they saw where a lot of the rebel sharpshooters were in a house they would fire on it and then when they skedaddled out lie on their guns and hurra.

Jan 7th. The storm that was threatened so hard yesterday did not amount to much. it only rained slowly an hour or two and then cleared off but the weather is much colder that it has been before Last evening I received a letter from [--not] and you saying that you had started the box for us and if we stay here we shall probably get it this week. I think likely we shall all be sick when it does come for it must be a pretty good thing according to a description of it given in a letter to [--lot] but we will try and be as temperate as possible under the circumstances. What will be as useful as any thing that will be in the box will be the hatchet that Anson got for us and with that to cut wood with and our frying pan to cook in we shall be as independent as you please. I also got a letter from Samantha last night saying that she was a little more comfortable and Doct. thought she improved a little a little which I was glad to hear and certainly hope it will continue though I should think from her writing that she was pretty feeble now.

Jan. 8th

Those postage stamps you sent me were very acceptible for I had only one left and it is next to impossible to buy one here. I wish when you have them to spare you would send me some more. Yesterday afternoon I saw a man from the hospital where Charley is and I inquired how he was. he said he was pretty badly off and complained all the time of his head. he said Charley would be sent to the hospital in Washington as soon as possible. We wrote a note and sent to him cheering as much as we could and telling him to write home for his folks were very anxious to hear from him. You told me a while ago that Alonzo's lawsuit was to be tried the next week but since then you have said nothing about it and Samantha did not say a word about it. I wish when you write again you would tell me how it went. All the camphor evaporated in my belt some time ago, so I threw it away for I don't believe it did me much good. It is cloudy today and looks like snow but don't believe it will till it moderates it is so cold. Yesterday we got our checks or orders for the second payment of the State bounty and will enclose it in this letter and would like to have father draw it and take care of it for me. Those hogs were stout ones and no mistake and I should think it would be a good plan to look out for some more of the same breed. You did not say whether you kept all three of them or not. if you did I guess you will not get out of pork this year unless I should get home then there would be a chance of it for pork stands a poor chance before me.

Write as often as you can to your soldier boy

Henry.