Bruckstaussen
March 4, 1863
Honored parents and sisters and brothers,
I received your letter, but you did not say if all of you are well, and that
is always the first thing I look for in your letter.
You asked if I have to stand picket guard often.
We are often on picket guard and will be many more times before this war
is over. We serve on picket guard
for 24 hours at a time. I was off
guard duty yesterday but tomorrow I must stand guard again.
Sometimes I have to help clean up around camp or serve as camp guard,
there is always something that must be done during a war.
If
only I can live long enough to eat one more time at sisters, I am always hungry.
Today Fritz Schwarz is on guard duty with the Brigadier General and at
that place is a mill. I gave him
a quarter of a dollar to get me some welsh cornmeal.
We have a good pan and kettle here for cooking.
We six men are bunking together.
Geman Sehm, Sptzurbruck Hennerhan, Fritz Schwarz and Johannes Zeller
are here with me and we get along well enough.
Geman Sehm is always very sad because so many men here are dying.
It is never any different when so many men are camped together, it is not
very healthy here. Here there are
so many men sick and we do not seem to care as much as we do at home when
someone dies because we see it so often.
Yes, I have very often wished I had some milk, but wishing will not get it
for me. It will so good when this
war is over and I can have things like milk again.
All we can do is be patient. I
would so love to be free from the army.
I received your letter when I got off guard duty and was so very happy, but
still I wonder if you all are well. I finally got the package you sent, the pretzels and cheese
were spoiled but I ate them anyway but the socks and gloves were fine and will
keep me warm.
I am well and hope this letter will find you in the best of health.
I am hopeful I can send you some money soon, we are anticipating the
payroll every day.
Best wishes, bless you and good luck and health to all of you.
Jakob