1862 October 14 Fort Tillinghast, Va.

Fort Tillinghast, Va. Oct 14/62

My Dear Wife,

A gain I attempt to write

a few lines to you, I  have no news to write

except (if it be new) to tell you that the 1st

Mass Cavalry (Col Williams) is in washing-

ton, You will recollect that David and William

Henry Tufts are int he same, I think that

I shall try and get over there, if they are there

any length of time. We have had for the

last four or five days, a kind of home storm

the wind being north east and quite cool.

I would like (when you send me a box) to have

a box of Professor Olmstead's Leather Preserva-

itive, as it is a most excellent thing for

Leather and for chapped hands and lips &c.,

I send you a few wild flowers, the last of the sea-

son probably, that I picked last Sunday, I dont

know their names, if they have any. We have here

outside the fort, a Signal Corp of Engineers, it

is very interesting to see them signaling from

one fort to another, although we dont under-

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stand their signs and movements, in the

night they signal by lights, and in the

daytime by different colored flags, I must

tell you about our supper that we had last night.  We

went to the slaughter house (near Ft Runyon) where

they kill Government cattle, and got a liver, I fried

the same, and we had a nice feast, with fried

Onions and Potatoes.  I would have sent Ada

some of the Onions, only I thought they might

get cold before they would reach her, Speaking

of Ada, you may tell her that I always thought

those cookies that she used to make were very

nice, I should think they would stow well in

a box, Col Wrights wife came here on Sunday

last to nurse him in his sickness, he is much

better than he was, she is a very fine looking

lady, it seem pleasant to look upon a female

face once in a while, and especially one from

Massachusetts, I hope to see more familiar

faces in Mass before many more moths have

rolled over our heads. I think Batcheller's

brother is homesick, he don't seem to like

the business that he is engage in, very well

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You need not tell Hen, that I said his brother was home

sick, because Hen might write and tell him what

I said, and you know that people dont like to

have folks think they are homesick. How is the news

of the war at home now? D you hear much about

it? If you hear anything of interest I wish you

would let me know, for we dont hear of know much

about it, and we very naturally are anxious to

hear something concerning that which we are

takeing so conspicuous a part in.  I suppose there

is warlike movements going on somewhere, but

for all that is going on around her, we dont know

that there is any. We see regiments moving from

place, but all we Know is that they are

going somewhere. The 1st Va regiment is now

encamped along side of us, their ranks are

very much thinned, some of the companies

om it have but from twelve to twenty men

left, the rest having been killed, or, in the

hospitals, Capt Chamberlain, of Lynn, was here

last Sunday, he is staying, for the present

near Cloud's Mills, having in charge the par-

roled prisoners that were sent from Richmond,

Letter of Robert, an unidentified soldier in Co. M. of the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, from Lynn, Massachusetts will resume on the 19th.