Arlington
Hights
Fort Craig V T
Feb the 19th
1862
Dear Father
and Mother
I take my pen in hand to wirt you a few lines to let you know how I am geting along I am well and harty as ever and hope when these few lines arrive they will find you all well I have notheing of importance to write at the present the boys are all well and harty and in good spirits health is a good as could be expected the weather is very disagreeable and as bin for sum time the mud is nee deep and geting worse I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you also Mothers the other day and was gladly received and one from Mary and Em and Rhoda which I have not had an opportunity of answering yet but will as quick as I am tell you nothing about the war more that you all readdy no you get the news as quick as we do I guess our men have gained sevrel great victorys within the last few days and are still pushing onward our men taking Ft Donalson with fifteen thousand prisoners and thirty peices of artilery field pices and twenty stationery cannon besides a large ammount of guns and ammunition besides this great victory they have gained sevrel others and have taken all ready more prisonors that they no what to do with a few more sutch victorys as Fort donalson and the rebbels will have to give up the chase I had forgot beside the prisonos at Fort Donalson we captured three or fore rebbel generals one jeneral Johnson and Buckner the names of the otheres I have not herd yet You wrote that there was a great deal of sicknes in the camp at Gosport I was sorry to hear it I suppose they have gone to Cantuckey before now they will find out something about soldiering before long if I am not mistaken we have binout in picket once since I wrote to you last and have a good time of it the mud was verry deep and tiersum walking but we did not mind that we would rather go on picket that to stay in camp tis not so hard on us and we can do more from when we get out and can get the fresh air Mother wanted to no how we slept when we go out on picket well I will tell you we always take our blankets and oil cloths with us we start out in the morning and there against 120-clock then we divide the Reg. one half goes out on post the first night and the other half lays on reeserve the plase where the severve stays is in the pine woods or there is pine all around us it has bin cut down about one hundred yards and tents made of it it make the best kind of tents to build it up in the form of a brush heap we have plenty wood and can keep warm we bild up a big fier in the middle of our tent and lay all around the fire the next day we go out on post and the others comes in and stays on the reserve until we get relieved by another reg. the outpost are about one mile from the reserve... are if we are attackted while on post by the enemy to fier up on them and then if they are to strong for us to fall back to the reserve and then give them thunder we was out 4 days the last time... and bill and me went over the line about a mile to an old Czech farmers and got our brakfast and he gave us sumcabage to big heads as big as a half bushel we took them up to our post and bailed them and had a good mess you wanted to no whether we had got that barrel of butter and appels that was sent to us we have not seen nor herd of them nor don't expect to we still are plenty to eat drink and ware. well I won't no of anything els to write it is raining today as quick as the weather get good and roads drys up we will make forward move but I can't tell when that will be so as I am out of anything more to write I will close by asking you to write soon give my love to all the friends and take a share yourselves write soon
JW Dean