Letter from a soldier to his parents during the Civil War

[Red and blue printed stationery shows the figure of a woman holding an American flag, with eagles at her feet] [preprinted: Columbia's step was proud and gay Peace smiled upon her bowers, Till treason, like a poisonous snake, Crept in among the flowers.]

Camp near Falmouth Dec 27

Dear Parents

I seat my self this evening to reply to your letter which I received last evning I was glad to hear that you wer all well yours found me usaly well & feeling first rate Uncle Barzilla & Alva wer over to see me the other day we had a first rate visite & lots of the Dayton boys have been over their regt lays about 3 miles from us yesterday I went over there & stayed till dark I saw so many that I used to be acquainted with that I almost thought that I had got home I see by your letter that you are worring about me or have been since the last battle but I hope that you will feel better before this reaches you you wanted to know something about our clothing in the first place we are fixed verry comfortable now Frank

[upside down in top margin:] Write Often

[sideways in left margin:] I did not see enny stamp [?] stamps are scarce

Campbell of Ferrysburgh is my tent mate now since John Mayer was wounded I had a line from John last nigh he said that his leg was not quite as well as when he first got to Washington but he thinks that he can save his leg Frank & my self has 4 thick woolen blankets & with our other fixings makes us plenty warm enough I drew me a new pair of pants the other day & I am pretty well clothed up now I shall draw me a dress coat pretty soon & then I shall have plenty of clothes for the present the Government furnished us mitens this fall they wer poor things but better than none you spok something about a box I will tell you about that wait till you hear from me again I will tell you what we most stand in need of to make us verry comfortable & ther is butter chees & dried fruit I will tell we have lived on hard bread & salt pork till we all have the Dire & have had it quite

a spell & I tell you that Chees & dried fruit is one of the best of changes in diet & tell Grandmother that she can send me a mince pie or a little can of honey that is if I should send for a box we are getting a oittle better fare now & probly if we stay here this winter (& I think we shall) we shall get potatoes & onions once in a while & perhaps we shall get a few Dried apples we should ahve such things at enny rate you need not do enny thing about sending enny box untill you hear from me again Oh what did you have for Christmas supper I will tell you what I & Frank had for breafast & supper we had some boiled potatoes fried stake & some stewd apples we we bought the thing over to the Brigade Commisares & I never enjoyed enny Christmas supper better than I did that it was better than we can afford enny day Austin Stafford was over here the other day & he gave me 1 dollar we have not got enny pay yet but we expecxt to get pay for 6 months the first of January Our lieutenant Colonel our Colne came back night befor last I tell you we wer glad to see him he sayes fix up us comfortable as we can he sayes that he aint agoing to have much Drill now days

I tell you all but coming out Victorious we got a terrible licking there was an awfull slauter & the trouble is we could not have a chance to finish them they wer on a high bluff & we had to march over a large open field & they opened about 100 cannon on our brigad & they slautered us badly our regt never fired a gun or onely now & then one we had rather a tough time out ther but I am thankfull that I got a out as well as I did I never have got a scratch yet & I have been in 6 hard fights. I wish that you could peep into our little tent to night I guess you would say that we are pretty comfortable when we came back from the fight I found 2 fat irishmen in my sellar with a good thick canvass tent over it & a good warm fire in our fire place & I just told them to climb out & they did & left the tent it is a regular officers tent it makes us a splendid Manshion I mailed you a paper the other day & I wrote you a letter after the battle & it seems that you have not got that as yet I have been promoted since the last battle to commisary Sergeant that is to draw rations for our co & deliver them out that excuses me from all guard duty & all drills it dont make enny more duty & not quit as much it makes a little diffrence in pay 17 a month instead of 13 I must clos my love to all I remain as ever your most affectionat son Wilber H Merrill

Camp near Fulmouth Dec 27

Dear Parents

I seat my self this evening to reply to your letter which I received last evening I was glad to hear that you wer all well yourss found me usaly well & feeling first rate Uncle Barzilla & Alva wer over to see me the other day we had a first rate visite & lots of the Dayton boys have been over their regt lays about 3 miles from us yesterday I went over there & stayed till dark I saw so many that I used to be aquainted with that I almost thought that I had got home & I see by your letter that you are worring about me or have been since the last battle but I hope that you will feel better before this reaches you you wanted to know something about our clothing in the first place we are fixed very comfortable now Frank -- Campbell of Perrysburgh is my tent mate now since John Mayer was wounded I had a line from John last nigh he said that his leg was not quite as well as when he first got to washington but he thinks that ce save his leg Frank & myself has 4 thick woolen blankets & with our other fixings makes us plenty warm enough I drew me a new pair of pants the other day & I am pretty well clothed up now I shall draw me a dress coat pretty soon & then I shall have plenty of clothes for the present the Government furnished us mitens this fall they were poor things but better than none you asked something about a box I will tell you about that mail till you hear from me again I will tell you what we most stand in need of to make us verry comfortable & I think is butter Chees & dried fruit I will tell we have lived on hard hread & salt pork will we all have the Dire & have had it quite a spell & I tell you that Chees & dried fruit is one of the best of changes in diet & tell Grandmother that she can send me a mince pie or a little can of honey that is if I should send for a box we are getting a little better fare now & probably if we stay here this winter (& I think we shall) we shall get potatoes & onions once in a while & perhaps we shall get a few Dried apples we should have such things at enny rate you need not do enny things about sending enny box untill you hear from me again

Oh what did you have for Christmas supper I will tell you what I & Frank had for breakfast & supper we had some boiled potaotes fried stake & some stewed apples we we bought the thing over to the Brigade Commisaries & I never enjoyed enny Christmas Supper better than I did that it was better than we can afford evey day Austin Stafford was over here the other day & he gave me 1 dollar we have not got enny pay yet but we expect to get pay for 6 months the first of January Our Colone came back last night beofre las I tell you we wer glad to see him he sayes fix up as

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