Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-11-29
CAMP GRIFFIN, Nov. IA, 1861.
DEAR FATHER AND MoTHER:

r. CAMP URIFFlN, NOV. III lool'
DEAR FATHER AND MorHER:
| take this opportunity of informing
you. of the safe arrival of the box
you sent US. Perhaps it might interest
you to know how it was received by us,
will give you a description of the scene
as nearly as | can. Wednesday Evening,
just before roll call, found me sitting in
my tent, smoking, and thinking of home
and you, when friend came to my tent
door and informed me that had a box at
the Quartermastcr's Upon receiving this
intelligence | jumped out of my tent, and
not waiting for my cap, started for the
Quartermaster not on double quick"
but " dead run" Upon arriving there,
| found that the box was too much for me :;
so | got friend who happened to stand
near to help me. After placing it in my
tent | took an axe, and, all Impotence to
see the contents, attempted to take off the
cover, but found that your prudence in
mailing it on was so great that it baffled
all my attempts to get it off. After try
ing in vain about five minutes, some of
the boys as inpatient as myself took hold
and helped me, and we succeeded at last
in splitting it off, but not until | had
come to the conclusion that you did not
have me there to use up your nails, for it
| had been, | think you would have been
more saving of what you had left. After
taking off the cover, VIC proceeded to ex-
anime the contents. The first thing that
met our gaze was WOODEN blanket for
Geo. Drown. George seemed well pleased
with it; in fact, it was just the thing he
needed. Next we came to the boots. We
each picked out our own, and sat down to
try them on. | found mine to be an exact
fit, and as for quality | found them much
better than / expected Bugbee's and
Story's were good fit, and we all com
plimented Mr. Dumas highly for doing
so we'll by US. After trying on the boots,
and discussing their merits to our satisfac-
ton, we proceeded to explore further into
the mystery of the box. Now before |
had opened the box | had made my brags
that should have turkey or chicken
for breakfast. BY this time our tent was
full of boys all anxious to get peep, and
some we're expecting articles in it for them
selves. The next thing that met our gaze
was the boiled eggs. Now as these were
not marked, it was matter Of dispute to
US who they belonged to. Geo. Drown,
said he thought the eggs belonged to him,
as he had written to his wife to send him
some On the other hand, I told him
| thought they belonged to me, and told
him was expecting a baked turkey or
chicken and that it was nothing more
than reasonable for me to suppose that my
baked chicken had improved the oppor-
tunity on the road to lay me few boiled
eggs. While we were thus discussing the
matter, each producing what arguments
in his own favor he could, we happened
to look around, and there sat Story and
Bughee in one corner, with faces as long
as your arm, quietly eating the eggs We
dropped the discussion at once, and came
to the conclusion that they belonged to
the Co. in general, and each helped him,
self accordingly, After eating the eggs
we each picked out our small boxes as
they were directed. | opened the sack
: and the first thing came across was a
: well | must confess, for the life of mt
| could not tell what it was intended for
first thought it must be something tt
wear on my feet, but it could not be that
for there was only one. Next though
, of a money purse, but it could not be tina
for it was too large About every one il
,, the tent suggested something, but nothing
that seemed satisfactory. At last on
more observing than the rest, (perhaps /
I might be we'll to say that he was mar
ried man) said that he knew what it was
: that it was a capt. yes, wooden nigh
cap This seemed to Lethe final deci
sion, and acting upon the suggestion, | pu
it on. We then returned to the box agar
and pulled out gloves mittens, woole
shirts, socks and blankets--in fact, ever
thing that Goes to make n sold;ar,s ia