Oct 31/62
Arlington Hights Va.

Friend Sam
how do you feel to day
as for me I have got cold
and donot feel very well
but think I shall be all
right in a few days if nothing
happens. how is it down in
Maine cold or hot it is hot
enough here to day so that the
boys are getting in the shade
and I am sweeting setting
here in my tent writing
but as soon as the sun goes
down it will be cold enough
to freeze a fellow I should like
to have a little change made
have it a little warmer nights
and not so much so days.
have you been out to Sodom
[page 2]
lately and have you seen Mandy
think I should like to go to
Pea Vil on a ride to Night just
to se how it seams but guess
I will put it off untill the
next moon without I can make
arangements and go by telegraph
but I guess it will do as well
if you will go and give her
an extra hugging for me
and you must not forget to
do it the next time you se
her. but look out for the
fogg storm. well enough
of this. well sam we are in
old Va on secesh soil and
a homely place it is too
I think I should want to
secede if I lived here and
think I should and go to
Pea Vil. we are about 6
miles from Washington
the Reg has got to go over
[page 3]
to the citty to morrow
and be reviwed revewed there
is going to be 13 Reg over
there I donot think I shall
go if I can help it it
will be a hard March if it
is as warm as it is to day.
there is any quantity of troops
around here you can se their
encampments in all directions
and there is any quantity of
fortifications we are just
out side of the Rifle pits
and you can look either way
and you cannot se the
end of them I pitty the boys
that had to throw them up.
Sam I tell you this is no fool
of a job and it will be a
long day before we get over
it and it will be a longer
one before the South gets
over it I donot se what they
[page 4]
will do there aint a great
many houseses left here now
when the boys want a board
they go to a house that is
deserted and take of[f] one and
it dont take a hundred
thousand of men a great
while to strip a nunber
of them and then they
want wood and the frame
is dry and will burn well
so in a few days there is
nothing left but the
chimenys but if they
will secede they must
take it as they can catch
it I am in hopes it will
be ended before the nine
months are out for I donot
want to go home and leave
the old Reg here they are
tired of this dogs life actually
sam there is nine dogs out evry
ten in Maine that fares better
[continued in top margin of page]
than a solgier
when we get on
the move bee
so it is any
I am willin[g]
to do m[y]
part of
it but
if we
had been
officers w[e]
wouldn[ot]
be s[o]
bad.
write
as of[en]
as you
can.
O W Brackett