Year: 1863




DEAR PARENTs:-I once more have
the privilege of writing to you. This
date finds me, with rest of my fellow
officers, well and hearty. The wealth.
er Tor week or two has been cold. |
have not as yet received box or let
ter from you; This makes the third
letter that | have written since | have
been here. There is a Lieutenant of
our regiment, from Lancaster, with
me here; who has received letter from
home, (his name is George Blair)-
l hope ere this you have received my
letters and complied with my request.
Tor our rations are very short. and my
Clothes are about gone up, and l sleep
cold, as we have no fire in our rooms.
There are now about one thousand Of
ficerS in the building. There are six
rooms that we occupy, each room is
1l2 feet long and 48 feet wide. 50 YOU
can judge the cold that gets in these
rooms. This winter we shall have
rather hard times. We have one room
the same size Of the rest 10 cook in;
we have ten stoves that do all the
cooking. We have water running to





each room by way Of pipes. This
does for cooking, drinking and wash
ing. We are allowed the privilege Of
each Of these rooms, and this is all the
exercise we have; all that is lacking is
the open air. Our rations are rather
light; we get but about three quarters
OF pound Of bread a day, and for
the last week this has been corn bread.
Up till Sunday we were getting about
one quarter Of a pound Of meat to d
man (fresh beef, little over two
quarts Of rice for 80 men day, but
we get just enough salt TO season our
yictuaIs. Soup we get once week,
and this in small rations. This com.
poses our rations; you can Judge how
we live. We have the privilege Of
sending out and buying potatoes,
bread, and other articles, but these
are very high-get two loaves of bread
for one dollar, peck of sweet potatoes
I for ten dollars. We getfor our green
backs in Confederate currency 81 for
81. We are obliged to deposit our
greenbacks, on coming to this place,
in the hands of the authorities Of the
prison; from this, in their money, we
receive $50 month. l put in their
hands S34, and have received in turn
in theirs SIS. | spend this for out.
side dishes, such as extra bread, pota.
toes, &c. Our rooms are kept clean
by the darkies that are captured by
the enemy. The building is situated
close to the James river, at the head
Of tide water, and at the north east
side of the city. From the south sid,
of the building we have nice view
of beautiful country for some miles
and On the north of the city, but We
} can see but little, as it is hid from u,
; by large buildings.


We have just drawn our rations 81
to-day, and in place CT meat We gc'
swect-potatoes-get about half q peek
for five men for one day. This goo.
TO show that the Southern Confedcra.
cy is hard up. We are permitted tc
get their papers every morning, and
the tone OF their papers shows plainly
that the citizens will have hard time
this winter. Their cry is, how will
We live through this winter. o.
course, if we remain We will have tC
suffer with the rest; but if | can dc
my government any good by remain
ing here and eating them out, it is al
right; but if it does no good, | should
love to be with my regiment. l think
that our government will take some
action on this subject soon, and have
us all exchanged; but l don't want
my government to sacrifice any prin
ciple TO accommodate us; make them
come to our terms or not at all; eX
change man for man and rank fol
rank, This is the only fair way, but
the rebel authorities won't do this
They are willing to exchange man fol
man and rank for rank, but want the
excess of prisoners in our hands Of
theirs to be paroled.


Although we are deprived of many
comforts and blessings that our fellow
men have at home and other places, !
want not my government to sacrifice
any principle for my release; and |
think there is not an officer in this
house that would. Unless we show
our independence to the world, what
are we in the eyes of other nations?-
Time will show that we have the pow
er, and that our government is able to
maintain itself l think the time is