Picket Guard By the Petomac
(near Seneca Mills Maryland)
Sunday. Jan 5th 1862

Dear Brother,

I thought I would write a
few lines to you today as I have not wrote to you
before I received Hannahs letter thursday
the last telling us that you were going to send
the box that night (Monday night) or the next
morning there were some boxes came to our camp
from Washington last Friday and I am going
up to camp tomorrow and see if ours has come we
will have a better chance to enjoy the things in the
box this time I hope than we had with the other one.
the other box come one day and we had to cross
the river the next and leave most of the things
behind. a good many boxes have come for our Co
but I have not seen one that had as much as
there was in our last one. I want to get the box
and try Some of the turpentine on my toes.
they give me hell this cold weather I tell you
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they are very well till I go out in the cold
and then go near the fire then they burn and
pain me so that I have nearly fainted with
the pain several times  if we should cross the
river and come upon any rebels while I was in
such pain I could fight like hell I tell you
we have had pretty cold weather the last two or three
days the canal is frozen here so that we can cross
on the ice and the river is froze over so as to
bare us on it close to the edge  about an inch
of snow fell night before last if the river should
freeze so as to bear artillery we will have to
Keep abright lookout for Mr “Rebel” and he
will have to do the same for us. we are sure to
cross the Potomac if it freezes hard enough
to bare artillery over the ice. if not I expect to
stay here on guard till spring. I hope we will
stay here we are so comfortable and have such
a fine time with nothing to do but stand two
hours guard every night and plenty to eat
and drink and a warm shanty to live in
there are plenty of hens and turkeys around
here and every now and then two or three of
[page 3]
them “Secede” from the [henroast?] and find the
way to our shanty. the Maryland people tried to
have the state secede from the union and now
they must not find fault if their hens and chick-
-ens “secede” from them, they believe in secess-
-ion. So do I as regards pigs, hens and turkeys
[torn] expect aid from England: so do the hens, turkey
and pigs expect aid from us and they get it to.
aint that a reasonable argument. we have had
roast pig five times and I dont know how many hens
and chickens since we have been here. we call our
shanty the “Shanghai” house. I guess the poultry
like the name very well as they “put up” here very
often or rather we put them “down” here very often
but I guess I have wrote enought this time. I think
we will get paid this week as the pay master is
up to camp. Mother will get some money
soon from us. it will be directed to you.
we are going to send our old overcoats and
one or two pairs of pants as soon as we get our
new ones which will be soon. you write soon.
good bye for the present we are both well.
L Blackington
[page 4]
Monday Morning. January 6th 62
I came up to camp this morning our
box has not coem yet. there is one
of our teams at Washington and
perhaps it will bring a box for us
the team is coming back tonight
when we get the box I will write
and let you know.
Lyman