portant. Christmas was a holiday
with us and through out all the
camps. We had a foot race for a prize of
$4.00 a wrestling match, same prize and
a greasey pig, also games of foot & base
ball. I did not participate in any of them.
An old schoolmate of mine from the
Maine 3^rd was over & spent the day with
me. Had an oyster supper. all passed
off pleasantly & quietly. The weather
has been cooler for the past few days.
We have been fitting up our winter
quarters yesterday & today. Col. Cross
gave us two days to do it in. We went
into the woods & took trees about one
foot in diameter cut them off to ft. long
split then into halves. then dug a trench
1 ½ ft. deep round the tent & put in the
sticks end up. Then put our tents on top
plastered the cracks with clay & banked
it up with dirt. This makes it very warm
& dry & gives us more room. We have
good stoves & plenty of wood. The

hill on which Fort Worth is situated was
covered with a heavy growth of hard
& soft wood. This was all cut down last
summer when they built the Fort so all
we have to do is to draw it down & cut it
up. There are thousands of acres cut
down in the same way in Va. & Md.
Our 2^nd Leuit Butler has been chosen sig-
nal officer & two men taken from the
regt. as assistants. I don’t know whether
we shall lose him on this account or
not. I hope not; we like him very much.
Geo. S. Fullerton was left at the Circle Hospi-
tal in Washington when we came. He had
Typhoid fever I heard from about a week ago
he was getting better & doing well. David
Osgood was also left there but was after-
wards sent to the National Hospital in
Baltimore, he had a [---?] fever when
we left Blackensburgh & was getting better.
I rec. a letter from him last week says
he is getting better slowly. My health &
sprits continue good.

I rec. a letter from Geo.S. Fullerton
last night, he is well and is doing
duty in the Circle Hospital. He expects to
be detailed as an attendant there
this surgeon wants him. If he is it
will be a good chance for him. Says
he fares first rate. We are all to be sup-
plied with a pair of undershirts. We
can also draw what other articles of
clothing we want. We are allowed
$45.00 a year for clothing. Every thing
is charged to us. if we do not show
$45. worth we get the balance in money
if we draw more it comes out of our
wages. All I shall draw now is a pair of
shoes my other clothes are all good.
I took a pair of under shirts with me from
home. I shall probably be paid off this week
two months pay. I shouldn’t wonder if
some thing turned up before three
weeks. You may hear stiring[sic] news
before then. Fixing up winter quarters is
no indication that we shall stay
here long. It is only getting prepared
to stay or move as circumstances
may require. I think it is time to do
something. We are most tired waiting.
There is one Rye boy here in our Co. viz Gilman
Johnson. he isn’t much either way.
I think of nothing more to write at present.