No name or unit and unable to log into the database. Thomas is the last name, probably a member of a Maine unit:
Buds Ferry Camp Hooker Feb. lst
Brother George,
I now have got a chance to write you a few lines and
I will improve it I am well as usual & I had a letter
from Ed the other day and he was also well. It has rained
here for about a month and the mud is deeper than I
ever saw the snow down East & our poor horses I pity them.
They have to go every day through the mud some of them have
died. AII my four are live yet but I got over twice this week in the woods
& I got hurt once but nothing serious. Yesterday was an unlucky day in
Camp. One of our teams runaway and hurt him pretty
seriously. Frank Carter is the man that was hurt. You
must excuse this composition for there is a dozen men
a talking and laughing around me so I don’t know what I am
writing about. BiIl Heyward is writing on the same table
with me. He is writing to his sister Elizy. There
was a man shot in company F yesterday. One man pointed
a gun to another not knowing it was loaded and it went
of and shot him instantly. He belongs in Brookline and
his body was sent home today. It is the worst thing that
has hapend to the Regiment since we came out hear and it is
strikes a gloom over the whole regiment. I have so much
news to write that I can’t write anything. Cap Brown of
East Boston was hear yesterday. He brought out some clothing
for our company and the Tru Blues which they stood in need
of very much. We have got our winter quarters built. They
are the best quarters I have seen since I have been out
here & the best layed out but enough about this. The Rebels
Batterys was much stronger than when we came down here.
As you can imagine it will be pretty hard work to drive
them off now. They have got some mighty big Guns. They make
our houses shake at every discharge. It is fun to lay
hear nights and hear them blaze away. They have fired so
much that we don’t notice it a might now. I suppose you get
more news than I do as it is hard to get a Boston paper
out hear but the next will be in Kentucky at Bowling Green
for the troops can’t move here on the Potomac for mud is
too deep. We couldn’t move a mile in a day. We have to
get our supplies to Liverpool Point now. That is 10 miles
below on the Potomac. Our floatilla is there now. I
went down there three times last week. The mud was over the
hubs of the wheels. We have to double up our teams now
to six and 8 horse teams. I shall be quite a driver when
I get home. l had a box from Lim a short time ago. He
sent me some tobacco and gloves which come right in play
as we can’t get such things out here. We have got quite a
lot of women out here now. The officers wives but if
we have to retreat they will have a hard one, I think.
George you must write soon and give me all the news. Give my respects to all.
Goodbye
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