[1] Seneca Creek Maryland
2 o’clock Wednesday Morning Feburary 5 62

Dear Sister
                       it is 2 o’clock in the morning
and I have just come off guard from 12 till
2 o’clock, and as I dont feel like sleeping I
thought I would write a few lines. I sent my
overcoat home yesterday or at least I took it
to a store about a mile from here to a man
who is going to take it to the Express office
in Washington.  I had nothing to send but an
overcoat and cap our old jacket and pants
we want to wear while we are here on picket
as they save our new clothes and we want to
keep the new ones good and clean so as
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to look well if we come home next month. we
have not got our new overcoats yet as the old
ones are good enough for the rest of the winter
the one I have sent home is one that I got from
Capt Rice yesterday. it has been worn some
but it is as good as new. the Capt had two or
three extra ones that he drew in Lynnfield
for the company and as he was tired of keeping
them on his hands I thought that I might as
well have one to send home as it wont
cost me anything.  I told the Capt yesterday that
I would take one of the spare overcoats to send home
he said that I could have had two or three if he would have
known it before and he gave me that. I am
sorry that I could not send more clothes
I would have sent a pair of pants and jacket
but they are very handy here to wear while
it is so muddy.  our new black uniform
would soon get dirty and look worse then
nothing.  if you dont want the coat to make
anything [Sunford?] you can let Dave
have it for an overcoat to wear about home
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he need not be afraid to wear it as it was
give to me to do what I wished with it you can
do what you like with it. I should think it
would do better for an overcoat for Dave than
to have to trouble of altering it for anything
else. there is a cap for Sanford if it will
be of any use to him. it is my old one. the
Candy is for mother and the nuts to. I
have sent a testament to you. one of those
that were given to our Regt by the wife of
Colonel Hinks. there is a few hard buisket
such as we have. 11 of them are for one days
ration with what meat we get. the thistles
grew in the door yard of Mr Jackson the
murderer of Col Elsworth he used to
own a country seat about a mile from
here on the bank of the Potomac. I got
them there yesterday morning it is all
I could send that ever belonged to the rebels
light one of them and see how pretty the
look burning. they will do to clean out
the chimney of your lamp. Jake went
to Poolesville yesterday and had [?]
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likeness taken in his new uniform one
was taken standing up with his gun and
equipements. the other sitting down he
did not get back till night after I
had nailed up the box and taken it to
the store we are going early this morning to
the store before the box leaves and put in
the likeness in the overcoat pocket is
half a dozen cartridges for Dave. you
can see what they are handle them
carefully. good bye for the present. if
Jake puts his likeness in the box I
will write more. I am going to lay
down now for a short nap till daylight!
Lyman