1862 February 3 Camp Franklin Va

Dear friends
I received a letter
from you Saturday night with
a few lines from Francis Symonds
and was glad to hear from you,
but I should feel better at ease
if I had heard from the money
I sent to Portland I hope I shall
hear from it the next time you
write. I was sorry to hear that
Walter did not live with you
I think you had better get a boy to
come and stay with you to do the
chores around the house and barn.
We have been packing up a box
to send home it will be sent to
Isaac McLellen at Webbs Mills
I have put in some things I though
to give Walter but if he does not
live with you I do not want him

[page 2]
to have anything there is some
books and other things I want
for him to have if he stays with
you. I have put in a Springfield
musket that I picked up I want
you to get Francis Symonds to clean
it and put it together if Mr[?] Washington
cannot do it. I want Washington to
fix if if his hand is well enough
and he has time to do it you will
find all the things in an old
knapsack the musket is tied up
with a piece of rope with fathers
name on it. I do not want any one
to have the musket to carry away
they may try it at a mark if they
wish to but not to carry it away
from home. I want you to keep
it well oiled to keep off the rust
If Walter lives with you he may
call it his but he must not handle
it. I have sent my over coat and other
things you will find in the knapsack

[page 3]
all my letters are in there you
may put them in my trunk
We have had wet weather about
all the time since I wrote today
it snows but the ground is not
froze and the snow will soon
melt away. It has been terrible muddy
here for two months nearly all the
time. I have not much news to
write as every thing remains about
the same as when I last wrote
all of the returned prisoners will
take the field to put down the
rebels that are able to do so. D. P.
Wood and some others that belong
to this company have gone home on
a furlow for a short time but they
will soon be back and assume their
place in the ranks again I want
you to go up and see Isaac as soon as you
can after you get this and ask him what
the bill will be if it is not more than
150 cts you may pay him I think

[page 4]
or any other one he will be glad
to get it. If them things
get home safe I do not want
you to give Walter any thing
unless he is with you. There
is some books there that I got
at Dr. Masons last summer
[fold in paper obliterates most of this line] much but
[fold in paper obliterate most of this line]I would send them
home. I have nothing more
to write this time so I will
close write as soon as you
get news from that box
Yours in haste
H.M. Cash

Hiram Cash, Private, Co. K, 5th Maine

MSS 12916