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[upside down:]
P.S. Please send me some more Stamps W. B. S.
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Camp of the 4th Vt. near Aquia Creek. January 11th 1863.
My dear Mother:
Thy last, was received yesterday, & as it is my rule, to write home once a week, I will do so to-night. I am once more, very well & able to do my share of duty, as our duty is not very hard, now. We have two hours per day, to drill, one in the frenoon & one in the P.M. unless otherwise ordered. Then a Dress Parade at four c'clock, in the afternoon. We have Roll Call at seven, in the morning when all must out, or be "reported up" to the Officer of the day. Guard duty is very light, & we get along nicely. Charley Newton has been to Belle Plains to-day to see some of his friends who are at work for Captain Pitkin; he is telling his adventures to the boys. Elhanau O. who drives mule team & is not with us much, is here to-night, so this letter may not be very well connected, as I have to help in the conversation, once in a while. Obe Hill is at work for Perley, now, and is well, I hear, by Charley
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Our Chaplain has lately come from Washington, where he saw Henry and says he is doing nicely with his one leg. ("fall in for Roll Call," is the order, so excuse me a moment.) though rather thin in flesh. He is really a cripple, for life, but the Chaplain says he is cheerful as ever. The Officers of the Regiment are going to give him a commission, if they can do so & they think they [underline]can[/underline]. This will give him the pay of Second Lieutenant, for at least two months & longer, unless he he chooses to resign, then, & raises his Pension seven dollars a month, in case the cripples of the war of sixty-one-two -three, are allowed Pensions, at all, & most likely they will be. It is just that he should have it, as if he had been less unlucky & able to remain in the Regiment he would have had it soon, if not ere now. I am writing with a pen, which I bought of Derbon, the first of our Company, to fall, on the thirteenth, the day before we started for the river. If we remain here till we are payed again, I shall try to get a pass to Washington, but if I am well, do not think I shall try for a Furlough, this Winter.
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We have only one Commissioned Officer with us now, as our Second Lt. has got an appointment, as Major, in the Fifty-eighth [N.Y.?] Regiment & has left us to join the same. Our First Lt. is detached, to serve on the Staff of General Brooks. Four Companies of our Regiment are on fatigue duty at General Franklin's Head Quarters, so we have only six, here. Yesterday we had a Brigade Inspection & Review, before Colonel Whiting. I am glad Jay J. Lewis got along so well, with his address should have liked to hear it. In regard to James' going to Kansas, I can only say, that if I were at home, and had such an offer, I should take up with it, for all going into the Army. I am no great lover of the service though it is not as irksome to me as it is to most of the soldiers. I do not think Timothy ought to blame me for not writing him, as I have done so twice, since I got any thing from him. Perhaps I do not direct aright. Please tell me correctly & I will try him, again. Please write him, too, of the above circumstances of the case as
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It is "after Taps," so I must close soon. I did think of you all, on the first of January, full as much as you did of me, I guess. Every thing in the Box, was as good as new, and we have not had to move, since it came, so they all have been useful, but some of the clothing, which I have not needed, yet. The Company drew a bbl. of Flour, a few days ago & we have made Dough-nuts & [C. & C.?] and get along nicely, so far as living is concerned. Pilot Bread does not find very ready Market, for the time the Flour lasts. Ann wrote me on the Fourth of Jan. but told nothing, which I need repeat here; Please write me as often as the can. I am sorry Mary gets no better so fast. Give her and all the rest my love.
With much love to thee I am
As ever Thy loving Son
W.B. Stevens
To R.B. Stevens