1861 December 6 Camp Griffin

[on patriotic stationery with a red top border, blue side border and engraved vignette of "Gen. McClellan" in front of which the writer has inserted the word "lieut"

Absent Brother
I take my pen In
hand to answer you letter
which I reseaved last night
I am well & hope that these
few lines will find you all the
same I was on guard yester-
day & therefore do not have
much to do to day, amost of
the regt are on picket or on
a scout there has a lot of them
gone out to day a scouting &
a foriegeing we are a having
fine weather here now & there
has not ben any snow yet
I was on picket thankstaving day

[page 2]
we did not have much
thanksgiving here all had some
baked muton & potatoes &
bread & puding you did not
write wheather you had reseaved
that $15,00 that I sent home or
not I sent it by Mr polan
with George Rogers & he was
a going to send it to mr Rogers
you rote that you heard that
Sam Cronan was dead he has
ben Sick with a fever but is
not dead for I was over
there not long ago & saw him
I think that we shall whinter
here or go on a naval Expadition
there is a good many darkes
down here we have Got one
to work a cooking that ran
away from his master in mariland
& I ges they are used prety bad
for I have seen the scars &

[page 3]
ridges on his back where he
had been whipted & his legs
are very crooked by pooting
to much load on his back when
he was young. Henry Smith
is beter & torrence bates is dead
i do not think of any more
to rite & i must bring my
letter to a close write soon &
Give my best respects to all in-
quiring friends from John Frisbie
to Mr. Gilbert Frisbie
Westford

Dear mother I take
my pen in hand to rite a few
lines to you i do not think of
much to rite only i should
liked some to have been there
& had some of that Chicking pie
you had for thanksgiving & some
of that pie we have to give
15 or 20 cts for a pie i sent home $15

[page 4]
i do not know but you
think that I spend a good
deel but I paid $5 for a
pair of boots & $1 for a
pair of glouvs it is a awfle
place to spend money it is
about as much as any sent
home some of the boys spend
every sent of their wages & would
spend more if they could get it.
I want you to send me a
box & put a chese in it &
about a $1.00 worth of buter
& make a sweetcake & some
cookes & I should like 5 or 6
pounds of sugar if you can
spare it send a good chese I
have got amost sick of living
on bread & meat I must
bring my leter to a close
rite soon from
John
Frisbie

John Frisbie, Private, Co. H, 3rd Vermont Volunteers

MSS 12177