Camp on Potomac Creek VA

December 28 1862

Most are sick with colds and disease. Fletcher got a letter from his brother David saying that no one has heard from the Regiment since the Battle of Fredericksburgh and he assumes she hasn’t gotten any of his letters and he hasn’t heard from her in so long. Tell Julia that Tom is improving slowly. Today another is buried from Company F “but I don’t know his name there is so many dying here that it would take most all of ones time to keep track of them Poor Ed Lomis I don’t think will ever see his Sarah again he is most gone…out of eight-hundred and sixty men that we drawed rations for at Camp Seward we now have five hundred and sixty that we draw rations for and the number is diminishing very fast ever day we have not got an officer that we enlisted under in Utica in our Company…. Second Lieut Durgee of Company I has been appointed over Lieut Jones in our Company as Captain and the orderly Sergeant of Company E has been promoted in Lieut Stanfords Place”. Describes more about Jones and Stanford. Nine promotions in the Regt but none in the Company. Everyone feels bad the officers they enlisted under are gone but “we can safely lay the blame on Capt Cones shoulders if he had staid with us as he agreed” they would hae all their officers and be better off. They end up being assigned to the Center of the Regiment instead of on the right. “I heard yesterday morning that the Col had reported us unfit for Duty at head Quarters we are drilling on guard duty what little we drill now and the soldiers think we are going somewhere on guard duty”. “I send you some drawings of Camp life keep them for me the tent on the left is the kind that we now live in.”