25th, 44th & 140th New York Infantry

Item LTR-545

Description

3 pages, original Civil War soldier's letter written in period ink and war dated.

February 21, 1863
Camp near Falmouth, Va

Dear Emma, Lena and Lansing,

I now take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well at present hoping this will find you all the same. I received your letter last night and was very glad to hear from you and am very glad that you improved so fast in writing. I want you to write to me very often because it is a great comfort to me to read all your letters. You must tell ma to send that pegging awl for I want it very bad to fix my boots. I went last night to the bakers and bought two loafs of fresh bread. I paid ten cents a loaf and it is cheap for the loaf is about the size of the eight cent loaf in Albany. The weather is beautiful today. The whole regiment is gone again this morning out on picket and won’t be back again in four days. The reason that I bought bread is that I get so tired of hard tack that I don’t know what to do and I shall but it now once and a while as long as my money lasts and when that is gone I will have to do the best that I can.

Emma, I want you to see Uncle Jim and Aunt Harriet if they got that letter that I sent to them and if they have got it I want them to answer it. I want you to write as soon as you can and let me know how all the folks are getting along in the neighborhood and Clarksville. Everything is very still about the war now. We do not hear of anything that is to be done and I hope that there will be no more fighting for we are all getting tired of it. So now I shall have to close by saying good bye.

I remain your affectionate Pa
John L. Houck


Lena I will send you a picture just as soon as I can get one to send.
John L. Houck