8th Maine Infantry - Captured at Fair Oaks

Item LTR-5543

Description

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

Camp Vermont, VA
December 22nd 1862

Henrietta,

I received your letter last Wednesday and was glad to hear that you are well all at home. I was out on picket duty when I got it and did not get in till yesterday till 2 o’clock p.m. and wrote a letter to Thomas and I did not have time to write to you yesterday. So I write to you this morning. As I do my washing. Last Monday and had a hard time of it, I thought of Mother for she had snow to hang out her clothes in and I had none.

You wanted to know if I had gotten the paper you sent me. I have gotten four, one had a comb and the next a piece of tobacco in it and a nutmeg in it. I have gotten them things. You can tell if dip or not. I don’t remember having only four, two at a time. We had a good time out on picket. Was on a post, I and Charles Gilford Philander was on a post together. We had to stand 8 hours out of 24 and it took the rest of the time to cut wood by day. We do not drill any now. We are about ten miles from Washington and two miles below Alexandria. We are half a mile from the Potomac. We can see the gunboats. They go up and down. We are in General Grimshaw’s Brigade and in General Casey’s Division and we are all by other regiments. You tell Abigail I got that piece of paper she sent me in your letter. But have not read the whole of it, for it was rubbed out and so I have not burned it yet. And so I shall keep it till I hear from her again. I want her to write me a letter. If she doesn’t when I get home, I will come up and stay a month and drink cider the whole time and kick the Major and raise the devil.

Mr. Johnson sent to John that he should send him a box if he may stay where he was and Thomas said that Father paid for the others’ box and I would not have seen a thing if I had to pay the whole.

I am well and like first rate and have done my duty every day. Yet I am the fattest you ever saw me I guess. Give my love to all of the folks and write soon as you get this.

Yours with respect,

Eben L. Kinrick

Today is warm as September in Maine. You must excuse my poor writing for my pen is poor and a poor chance to write for it is three of us writing. Ain’t much room. Eben

Write soon. Write soon as you get this letter. Eben