I rec. your letter of
Mar 5^th today, was glad to hear that
everything was so flourishing at home
- I call all N.H. home now. I was not
before aware that congress had passed
such an act as you speak of if it is so
I shall try and get a furlongh. Tho it
is no easy [---?] to get one here. Their
have been so many desertions this winter
that soliders are kept pretty close. I rec.
a letter from you a few days since also
papers. I am always glad to see papers that
have anything about this regt. it is so seldom
that we are noticed in that way. Our
reason is most of the papers that have
correspondents in the army are from Mass
N.Y. & Penn & they have enough to do to

crack up their our regts & their if a Col.
wants his regt. praised or a Gen. his
brigade he was only to be very has[?]
private to a correspondent & a puff[?] is
written & sent to the paper forthright.
Col. Cross is to independent to palaver
around anybody. We have the satisfaction
of knowing that we [---?] highest in
the estimation of both Gen. Summner &
Gen. Richardson. They are both dead
now & they were two of the best Gens.
Gen. Hancock too thinks we are the No. 1s
of his dvision & he is the strictest most
particular Gen. in the service. he is a
Maj. Gen now. Gen Richardson gave
us the name "Fireproofs." There are many
things required to make a good regt.
Making a gallant charge now & than
~~does not~~ is not a sure sign of a good regt.
This Irish Briagde has done some hard
fighting & has been puffed[?] to the skies
but they are not reliable they cant
always be depended on. besides

their is much required of a
regt. besides fighting & I have
always found that if a bridge was to
be built or a lot of gabions or fascines
to be made important point to
be picketed that the 5^th was always
called upon. We have always done all the
skirmishing for this division & Gen Hancock
has said that if we could get filled up to 500
men he would have us armed with Sharpes
rifles & have teams[?] to carry our knapsacks
& use us only for skirmishers. Gen Richard-
son used to call us his light cavalry.

Our cavalry had a small fight at Kelly
[---?] a few weeks ago & did something to
improve their reputation which has
always been very poor in the army. When
we are on a march if we meet a squad-
ren of cavalry going back. The boys always
sing out "there are rebels a head. There is
going to be a fight. The cavalry is going to
the rear" & it has seemed as though our cavarly
did but very little good. They now have

taken part in any of our battles.
You feel very cross about Crostoy[?] being
promoted. He joined the last summer
he lost his right arm at Fredericksburg
he is a poor man & has a family &
Col. Cross promoted him that he might get
extra pay & larger pension, it was
very kind in Col. Cross to do so he was
a good solider a tip top fellow well[---?]
[--?] & every way qualified for a officer.
Tho of course he will resign as soon as his arm
gets well. I hope you wont feel cross now.
You wouldnt want me to exchange
an arm for a commission would you?
President Lincoln reviewed the army yes-
terday. The whole army was out. I wish
you & Dcotor could have seen it.
Our colors are the only ones in the army that
have the battle names on them. They cause
a great starring whenever they go. One
Co. has the honor of furnishing both
color bearers one of them is only left
6 in tall. I have rec. Fathers & Mothers
pictures. They look just like them. Hope
I shall have yours next