1862 November 24 Camp Casey, Fairfax Seminary

                                                 Camp Casey Nov 24th [1862]
                                                        Fairfax Seminary
Dear Sister Helen
                                                 I received your
letter dated 21st this morning, and
think I will answer it this after-
-noon although it is very pleasant
and warm and I would like to be
out taking the air.. I was out
quite a while this morning and
went down and staid in our tent
for some time,  the boys haven’t
done much drilling since they came
back from picket it has taken
them most all the time since

then to dry their clothes and clean
up their guns which were completely
covered with rust.   They had a pretty
tough time.   So you was going
to surprise me by sending a box
was you, and not write me any
thing about it – well I thought
that you might send me one
but I hardly dared to trust
you and thought I would send
for it but I shan’t expect it
as soon as Thanksgiving for it
can’t get here so soon, but it
will be very acceptable at any
time if every thing is in good
condition..   I wish that I
could be at home Thursday and
help you empty the dishes and
spend a day with you all if
it were only for a day – but I can
wait until next year and then
I expect there will be a general

thanksgiving and rejoicing in
many homes but you must eat
a good dinner for me, which will
have to answer this time.  I hope
you will enjoy yourself and have
a good time.  They are fixing up
the hospital pretty gay are white-
washing and plastering and have
got Iron bedsteds for us all and
they are real nice and easy to
lie on,  I thought that I would
get out of the hospital and go
to my street this week but if
they are going to have things so
nice I don’t know but I had
better stay a little longer for
I shan’t do any duty for some
time yet.        We expect to be
paid off pretty soon and ought
to have been a long time ago
but they don’t pay up very –
prompt but I hope they will

let us have some money pretty
soon as I am played out..
                   Tell Father to write and
tell me what I had better do
about getting me some boots.  Do
you think that it would pay
to have my shoes sent home
until dry weather again they
are just as good as new and not

                                           
worn out at all or perhaps I
can sell them here as I don’t
want to carry then around this
winter.   Do you know whether
Elbe has returned from Homer [?] or
not, of course he will be home
Thursday and if he diden’t get
around in time to send that
bundle, in my box he will have
to send it by itself.  Tell him
to pack it, so that it will
arrive all safe and sound –

[The rest of this letter is written in the top margin on page one.]
I am still on the
improve, although I am
still weak   the boys are
all well in our tent, and
Aaron says that his
father is coming on here
about the first of Dec
          I must stop
now with love
to all I remain
     Yours ever
         Jim

James H. Howard, Co. A., 15th Connecticut

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12668