Your last letter
with Doctors photograph was rec.
in due season. I have also rec. several
papers from you & Dr. I think his photo-
graph a very good one.
I have delayed writing till now,
partly because there is no news to
write & partly because I don’t have
much time. When not on guard
we are drilling etc.

This morning we had orders to be
ready to march at 9 A.M. with
blankets etc. I had just come off
guard, but supposing it was to be
another raid, I started with the rest.
When we got to the gate of the prison-
ers camp we were marched in, stacked

arms & were sent by Cos. to guard
the camp. The rebels had previously
been moved into this new camp
just completed. We searched every
tent thoroughly, digging into the ground
to find anything that might be
hidden there. Their boots made of
pieces of board, rope ladders, life
preservers, [---?] etc we found.
after the search was over we formed
line just outside the gate & the rebels
were marched back again being
searched as they passed in. It took
a long time there being some 9000 of
them.

Many of them are enlisting into the
U.S. service. Most of them will go into
the navy. 300 have enlisted for
the army. They are in charge of
Capt. Livermore. are camped
by themselves, have been uniformed
& are in all respects on the same
footing with our own men. It is

thought to form a regt.of them.
to be officered from our old regt.
Eight hundred rebel officers arrived
here from Johnson’s Island this last
week. They are of all grades, from
2^nd Lients.to Brig. Genl.
We were paid off last week. I got all
the pay that was due me up to the
1^st Jan. but did not get the $100.00
bounty. Can only get that in Washington.
How are political affairs in N.H. is
there any doubt about the state.
I hear that there is. Hope all will
go right. a copperhead victory in N.H.
this spring would be most deplor-
able. As for old Rye I suppose there
is no more hope for it there for Sodom
& Gomorrah. Raymond is in the same
fix, but I would like to be there & cast
my maiden vote for Gilmore.
We have got a Chaplain now, he was
a Baptist preacher & was drafted
so he came out as private & served

as such till lately he was appointed
Chaplain. Quite a streak of luck for him
to go from private at $13.00 per month,
to Chaplin at $1200.00 a year.
He is a very good man & will make a
good Chaplain. I think he is now
a first class preacher.
We have just completed a chapel, it is
built of logs covered with a board roof &
has windows, is papered & is a very
fine building. It is also used as a
Masonic hall. We have a lodge here
& hold a meeting every week. I say "We"
for I have the honor of belonging to [---?]
Mass[?] ancient & honorable fraternity.
I joined since I came here. I have
often observed the advantages derived
from being a Mason & embraced the first
opportunity to become one.

Evening
I have just received a Harpers & a
Boston Herald from you. Thank you for
them. I have been reading Harpers this
eve. Capt. Butler has been teaching geography
to his nigger boy. Ajax is a bright servant
& learns rapidly.

The weather is very pleasant here
now. My health never was better. I was
weighed today & weighed only 200 lbs.
I wrote to mother yesterday.
Please write to me again soon.
Give my love to Dr. & the children.