1861 December 11 Fortress Monroe

[written on patriotic stationery with an american flag in the left margin]

Fortress Monroe
Sattarday Friday Dec 11th 1861

Dear Sister  I Receved your
Letter yesterday it found
me in A Perfect State of health
and I hope tis Will find you
The same you Made A Mistake
in directing your Letter you sent it to
anapolis instead of fortress monroe
it did not make Aney Diference only
it Was A little longer coming I got
A Letter Henry last Week he was Well
There is nothing going on of importance
A this Place I heard this Morning that
Burnsids fleet sailed last night
But Every thing is Done With Such
So quitely that We canot tell weather it
sailed or not our camp is not A half
Mile from the Landing and We can see
All the Ships When As thay come in off
The top of our stables I Dont think that

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there will be Much Done At this Place
this Winter the Roads Are in A very
Bad condition just now it has Been
Rainey this Week But it is not cold
it seldom A Snows Down here and
the spring begines in febuary We have
No use for overcoats onley when on
guard At night our turn comes once in
Seven Days too hours on Post and four
off for 24 hours, the stables for our
hoarses cost the goverment 40 thousand
Dollars and it costes from fouteen to
sixteen hundred Dollars Per Day to
Mantain the Regiment, the Burnt
Town of hamton is About 1/4 of A Mill
from our camp it Was A very prety Plase
before it Was Burned About Like Noristown
We Are not Alowed to go there Without
A Pass there is A Small rivere on this
Side and A Bridge over it the Rebbles Did
not come over the Bridge there is some
Very nice houses on this side Which Did
not Burn the Female Semanary and Ex

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President Taylers Mansion and Some outher
Where Saved thay Are stoved[?] full of
Niggars Who Run Away from thair master
I think thay had Better stayed At
home thay Are Miserable Looking Devels
the Rebbles have not disturbed us Since
christmas Except taking our Water Boat
Last Sunday Week A Scouting Party out
of our Rebiment Went to Big Bethel
the outher Day We saw A half Dozen
Mounted Rebbles Wich We chased But Dident
catch them our hoarsmen jumped over into
the Brest Works At Bethel But thay had
gone.  We have no captain now he has Been
Dismised from the Service We have not got
one in his Place yet thay Aare trying to
get the Colonel Dismised But I Dont know
Weather thay Will Accomplish it or not
I hope thay Will Will not for  he is A good one
The Leter of our company is changed to E
I Will say no More At Present
yours Brother  William Martin
Sallie Martin

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Directions

Wm Martin
    Co. E.
11th Pen. Cavelry
   Fortress Monroe
          Va.

MSS 8474-u