Va.
Camp near Aquia Creek, ^. Nov. 20th /62
Dear parents,
I have received three
letters from you since I wrote to
you last they were delayed on account
of our being on the march I was very
glad to hear from you and more so to
hear that you have let the farm to
so good a man it will take a heavy
burden off from my mind to know
that you will not have to expose
yourselves to the cold stormy weather of
winter. Since I wrote last we have
marched a long distance how far I do
not know we passed Catlett Station
on our way here where we were
camped once last spring it seemed
almost like getting home again every
thing looked so natural. the weather
has been drizzley for some days and
sometimes it has rained quite
hard the roads a getting very bad so
it is almost impossible to moove the
army we have got to stop here untill
they can build corduroy roads for us.
I have heard that we are going to
Fredericksburg, Va. next it is about 12 miles
from here we have not had any
trouble with the rebels since we dame
into Va. Some parts of the army have
had a little fighting as the advance on
the right of us we are on the extreem
left of the advanceing army the 2end.
army corpse has been joined to ours
the 6th and commanded by Genl.
Franklin. I thought by your last letter
you seemed to think we did not get enough
to eat in the army this is not the case we
get a plenty of hard bread pork fresh beef
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bacon beans potatoes coffee sugar
dried vegetable for soupe rice &c and
they deal out to us in such a way that
we have a change of diet often enough
I could spend every cent I get for
things to eat and so could any one and
then hardly know where it had
gone and I have no doubt some men
in the army do spend all they earn.
In the letter you sent last you wanted
to know how much I got extra I have
not received any thing yet but if I get
any thing it will be 25 cts a day and I a
m entitled to draw money for my
rations while I was a prisoner but I
cannot get it untill I am discharged
unless the company commander has
a mind to put it on the pay roll
and I have not asked them to do it
yet. I have recieved about one half
that I lent to the company and I
shall get the rest as soon as we get paid
we have now almost five months
pay due us. I have not heard from
Washington by letter yet I wrote to
him the other day and I expect to hear
from him soon the 17th is on the advanc
advance with us at one time they were
camped about three miles from us
there is nothing in the report of the 5th
Me. Regt. coming home to recruit it is
not so. The boys are all well except John
Mac, he has gone to a hospital my health
is better than it has been for a long
time and I feel quite encouraged
When you see aunt Pagy tell her that
I want her to tell me what the ladys
name is she has picked out for me
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and if she does not tell me I shall
think she is to blame if I loose her.
I was glad to hear that Walter was
so good a boy to help you I think a great
deal of him since I came out here
when you go away see that he is well
taken care of I want to hear how
you manage about your provision
and all the particulars how you get
along it amounts to nothing merely
to say you have let the farm I wish
to know if you sold the oxen and if not
how do you manage about the hay
[page 4]
I want you to write how much the tax was
this year and if you have paid the last years
tax I am in hopes we shall be paid soon
so I can send you some more money
to pay these bills with but we may not
get it untill the first of January they
owe me for clothing that I have not drawn
about 21 dollars I am in hopes to get this to
when we are paid next time there is not
any news of importance so I will close
from you son
Hiram M. Cash
Hiram M. Cash, Co. K., 5th Maine
MSS 12916
