Roswell Farnham to Laura
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Your letter of Feb. 10th. & 19th. was duly rec'd & read with pleasure. I think it would be better if you finished your letters at one sitting than to keep them on hand so long even if you do not write so long ones, as many times your news is old to us, we having heard the same thing two or three different ways.
We are having some pictures of camp life taken by an artist here & when Geo Chamberlin goes home we will send you one. I have also drawn the interior of our camp tent which I will send. I would draw a good many sketches out have not time. I got some pencils and paper when in Washington. - I will now answer your letter.
If you can sell the old bed & bed-stead I wish you would do so. Take almost anything you can get for the bedstead - & the bed ask Mrs. Strickland about as I don't know the worth of it.
I am glad you can hear with those mechanical
contrivances so well. I am
only sorry that your ears will not remain as well all the time as they are at
times. I don't think I would write any testimonial for Dr. Hartley unless he
urges it. At any rate only so far as you can & that will not help him. We
both enjoyed your account of the Sewing Circle very much indeed & think it
must have been quite a success. I wish we could have been there. Mary wants to
know how Mac behaved. I think the little rogue would be quite at home in camp -
I rec'd a very kind and interesting letter from Mr. McKeene several days ago
& will answer it soon.
We have very changeable weather here now. Last night it rained as hard as it
could pour. Today it has been very pleasant & tonight blows. This afternoon
it blew the top of our chimney off & Mary, who was asleep on the bed did not
know it. I found it goes when I returned from a ride. It is getting to be quite
sickly in the regt. now. Mary are coming down with fevers. William Wallace is
quite sick but I hope he will get along. I have had a tent set up on purpose for
him, so that he will not
have to go to the hospital. Mr. & Mrs.
Peach will see that he has good care. My best horse is still sick, but getting
better. I rode him out today two or three miles & he begins to feel pretty
well. I have another horse that I bought for thirty dollars (Dont say anything about it) I expect you would feel too proud to
ride him at home but he will do for the hard work & when I get him fat he
will look better.
We are now under marching orders - that is we were last night ordered to be
"ready to move at a moments warning with two days cooked rations" & the
order has not yet been countermanded. So we must keep ready to move. I dont
expect we shall go far. The Rebels have been at Leesburgh, Drainsville,
Centreville & last night were at Union Mills - there was a skirmish there
& the 14th. Regt. moved from the station up to assist the troops at the
Mills. We were not disturbed & think we shall not be at present - The mud in
the roads is still terrible. It is impossible for an Army to move. Mary will
stay here a little longer and then go into Washington & wait a little
while to see where we go. If we should be so situated that she can
remain with us I shall have her do so. It costs us but little more than it would
at home.
You have never written whether Mrs. Prichard had read Mary's letter or not. Mary was quite anxious to have her see it. Now it would be rather old.
My health is pretty good. I believe I have not lost a day yet from sickness. My lameness laid me up for a few weeks & that is all the mishap I have had.
Write immediately upon the receipt of this. Remember me again to Mr. & Mrs. Strickland & family. Tell Mr. S. that he & the other good patriots must attend to the "Copperheads" at home. How have you succeeded in collecting from Mr. Chamberlin?
Write at once upon the receipt of this & then I will reply to that - so that there will not always be one unanswered letter between us. Mary sends love.
Roswell