No 18


Near Fredrics burg. Dec 24. 1862

Friends at home.

I am well but Goodrich is
quite sick, and a little crazy
I hope he wont be so long.

The rest are well. We have
to go out about two miles on
picket every three days and
stay till the next day about
noon, so I do not get mtch
time to write.

I wrote to Lottie and thought
that would do so you would
know that I was all wright

Brooks box came in yes-
today but the apples wor about
all spoilt with rot and that
[page 2]
spoyd some of th cake
but it came from home so
it went beter than it would
if we had bin at home. I got
a little our of some cakes that
was sent to Windsor and I, and
I had some that came to one of
my tent mates from Westminster
that tasted prety good.

We did not make mutch going
over the river. we layed there three
days and rumaged around in the
houses and got some flour and some
things we could cary with us. we
got some saliratus that went well
with meal and flour. we can
buy meal at a mill about a
mile and a half from camp, I
went down this morning before sun
rise and got four quarts, we make pud
ings, slapjacks, hoe cakes, and gruel out of
it. Please send some black peper and sali-
[page 3]
ratus when you send a box and
send some in letters before if you
dont send the box prety soon.

If you send preservs send
in good stron bottles and well
packed and sealed. if you send
apples I would pack them in a box
by themselves and put it in one
corner so if they should rot they
would not spoil any thing else,
some dried apple if any thing.

How do the girls make out
skate ing this winter. we have
not had but two snow storms
since we have bin our here and
those were very small ones.

We have had some prety cold
wether a few days back but it is
warmer now. we have got a prety
good tent, so we get along prety
well. I had a letter from Joseph
I dont know but I told you before
[page 4]

We have just got some new
pants I got my other ones
worn out prety well, but they
stood m[??]ing prety well.

They dont say mutch about
going into winter quarters any
further than we are. so if there
is a chance to send a box I
should like one vury mutch
some pencils with ruber hads
would be vury good the boys
are getting our of pencils.

I must go and get some
wood so to have some when we
come back from picket day
after tomorrow

I dont know wheather it
would do any good to hang up
my stocken tonight or not. we
have got a chimney big enough
for the old felow to come down
with quite a bundle.

Yours truly A. H. Carter