Near Manassas Va
Dec 10th /61
Dear Sister
I am now in no .1. [1]
at our new encampment writing
according to promis but have
very little news of importanse
I arrived friday as I informed
you in my note by [mr?] still
in good health & still enjoy very
good I had on my way quite
an interesting time found several
acquaintances that were interresting
to us as several traveld with
us some time in willmington NC
mr. Oglesby met with several
of his School mates & we had to
ly over their some time & had
quite a nice time with them
also an inglis vessel run the
[page 2]
blockade at that point & was
landed at that place from texas
loaded with wool lead & copper
I was aboard the vesal & conversd
with the capt of the vesel whitch
stated that he passed in sight
of the federal vesels also two passd
through from this point the
same night that this one run in
Sack we are moveing to go in to
winter quarters the most of our
company is in & building houses
for the winter whitch we intend
remaining in if old abe will let
us but it is thought that he will
give us a few shots in a short
time as our pickets report the
enemy advancing every day & as we
have the prettiest weather ever
known in this country at this
Season of the year I go in my
[page 3]
Shirt sleaves all the time & you
can judge for your self as to the
mildness of the weather
Sack in my note to you I spoke
of haveing my choice a 60 days furlow
& join for the war or stay
until my time expires & suit
my self in a company
I have come to this conclusion if capt
crump will take the sixty days furlow
to do so my self & join him but
not unless as I am partial to him
& can say that he is very very popu[lar?] [2]
with the company very near all of
his men will join him next term
he now speaks of raising an
artilery company after the expira[tion?]
of this twelve months
we have had no election for
first lieutenant yet & I think
it douptful wither we do or not
[page 4]
Sack as no .1. has a great deal of
company I will give you the size
we intend building our house it is
to be 16 by 18 feet & will commence
with one ax in the morning while
some of the rest of our mes
intend going out & press some others
in to service & if successful we will
have a snug cabben in a few days
out of the pines of verginia all that
have not yet built have chimneys
to their tents whitch makes them
verry comfortable
we had quite a nice one at our old
camp but done our cooking our doors
& after meal time built a large
fire in front of our tent for the
accomodation of our friends whitch
has been crowded ever since I arrived [3]