The Civil War Letters Camp Hamilton December 5, 1861

Camp Hamilton Va Dec 5th, 1862 (1)

My Dear Wife

i take the opportunity of writing to you to inform you that i am still in good health and i hope these few lines will find you the same

today being Sunday i thought that i would spend part of the time in writing to you  i do not know what kind of weather you have about Philadelphia but it is very cold down here  i can tell you it is pretty hard to keep warm  we have to knock about to keep the Blood in circulating and it is last night it comenced to snow and before morning it began to Rain and freeze and everything was coverd with ice and sleet and it has been wet and uncomfortable and cold ever since morning  and i think that winter has set in ernest  but we will have to put up with it i expect until warm weather comes again.

there is very little news about here of any kind
last week two Rigements of infantry and about 200 cavalry of our Rigement went out Scouting  they went as far as Big Bethel and set fire to the church and a couple of hay stacks and chased the Rebels pickets into the woods and captured 1 mule and 1 horse which we have now in the Rigement  but nobody was hurt or Scared  it was just mearly a ride out for the boys  it is expected that they will be a forward movement to Yorktown before long but how soon i do not know for us soilders know nothing until after it happens and some times not then.

i forgot to mention in my last letter that the ducks you sent me where firstrate and well cooked  and you must tell Aunt Elizabeth that i thank her for her Christmas Present
and those two jars of Peserves which you sent where firstrate and the current loaf  in fact everything was firstrate and i give you my humble thanks for them all  i have not much more to say  only what i have said in my other letters  i would much rather have 1 hours talk with you then write a hundred letters  for i am a poor writer  for i often think about what i shall write to you and when i come to write i do not know hardly what to write
for i have plenty to write about if i could only bring it to mind
when i am writing and i often think that yours letters are the sweetestand best letters i ever received (missing) one

in fact i very seldom receive a letter from any one but you  and you do not know how it cheers me up each letter i receive from  and Dear Maggie  you dont know how it grieves me to think that i should be so foolish and headstrong as to leave you so soon after we where married  but this war will take a little of the foolishness for the rest of my life so we can live in hpe for better days if we Die in Dispare  so this is all i have to write at present

with my very best love to you

I remain

Your Affectionate

Husband

Wm Lancaster

Write soon  Wm Lancaster

Wm Lancaster
Co E 11th Penn Cavalry
Fortress Monroe Va

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