1862 December 11 Fort Tillinghurst, Va., Dec 11th/1862

Fort Tillinghurst, Va. Dec 11th / 1862

Dear Priscilla,
                      I received yours of
Dec 7th, last night, I was very glad to hear
from you, not having heard for more
than a week, I am very glad to know that
you are all well at Home, and I pray
God you may continue so, Nothing of
importance has transpired here since
I last wrote you,  We have had nothing to
do of any account since the cold
weather came on, scarcely any drilling,
or fatigue work,  hardly enough to keep
us from rusting out,  I will endeavor
to find out something about Dr Wrights
box, if possible, I dont think he will
ever hear from it, if he dont soon, there
has been two or three lost that was sent
to our company,  Earp is still in the
Hospital, he goes out every pleasant day.
he is very weak, but slowly recovering.
Mrs Chandler has not arrived her yet,

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She is expected here on Saturday next,
Mrs Carroll is  here, she has been here
two or three weeks, Capt. c. is having a
room (or two rooms) fitted up in the barracks
here for the accomodation of himself
and wife, Carrol's wife is boarding at
a Dutchmans house near here, for which
Carroll pays three dollars per week,  Carroll
takes his meals in the company, and sleeps
at the Dutchman's, nights,  There are quite
a number of women here, Wives of the
Officers, a quite a number of Privates, at
the different forts, have their wives with
them, I dont want mine however, for the
good or bad reasons, that I have before
mentioned to you, (Dont be offended.)
You ask me about our hospital, We have
the best hospital of any of the forts,
it is a building about sixty feet long,
and thirty feet wide, not including the
cookhouse, and other buildings,  That
are connected with it, it is well ven-
tilated, and well warmed, and Kept

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perfectly neat and clean.  I recieved your
letter with Cal dates,and tooth picks.
To-day I have been writing a letter
to Father, telling him how my acco-
unt stands with Joseph, I have
written to him, of the promise
that my  brother made me when
I left him in Cal, that if anything
happened to him (Joseph), I was
to have the land on which the
Ice Houses stands, I have asked
Father to come and see you, and
talk the matter over, I think he
will come, if he does, you can tell
him of the promises that have been
made to me from Cal,  I had the pro-
mise of being paid in installments
of twenty five and fifty dollars, from
my brother when I left him,  All I
have received amounts to nothing
from him,  I hav'nt time to write
more, now, God bless you and ours is
ever the prayer of your loving husband

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I am very much in want of some
Postage Stamps--
That box of cigars, that Mr Edwards gave
me last Sunday, I have sold to one of
my mess, for three dollars, Cash, to be paid
pay day, (Dont tell out of the  house,) I wish
he would call again,    R.

       
Robert P. Mansfield, Co. M., 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery

MSS 1242