“Pelican Camp”, VA
November 3, 1861
 
Dear Mother,
 
I was just preparing to answer a letter from Cousin Richard when your welcome messages arrived. You can’t imagine what pleasure and gratification it was to receive a letter from you. I had looked and wished and thought why it was that you did not write. Had given up ever receiving a letter from you. When your letter reach me, I hope for the future you will keep up a correspondence with me. This leaves Coby and myself well. Our Company is in very good health except a few cases of the chills and fever which will continue as long as we remain in this camp for our camp is covered in mud and water all the time. It is thought we will move to a higher and dryer place in a few days.
 
Mother, I will try and answer the many questions you proposed to me. You wished to know if I ever read the Testiment you give me. I have read it some, though not as much as I ought to. We have preaching every Sabbath and prayer meeting twice a week. Our Chaplain is a Virginian. Mr. Roberts a very nice man. He takes a great interest in talking to the soldiers and trying to get them to do better. The clothing you sent me is in Yorktown. Our Captain sent for this morning. We have all drawn our blankets. We have two a piece. We sleep pretty cold some nights. You say let you know if we need any bed clothing. We will need them very much, but it would do no good for you to send them, for the first time we had an alarm, we would have to fall into lines and march off and leave them as we are the advance guards and will have no winter quarters but tents. So you had better not send me anymore than what you have sent. Our rations are about as Dolph said “they are rather short” though we make out and do very well on them. Cousin Richard said if we needed any peas or potatoes or anything of that kind, that they would be able to send us some. We get plenty of such as that. Our coffee and meat and sugar is the shortest ration. I suppose we will get full rations after a while, though we do very well on what we get. And I expect better than we would be if we were to get more. Coby is in a Mess with me. I will tell you who is messing with me at this time. Coby, myself, Lonnie, Lloyd, Dolph, Monroe, Rentz, Clay, Johnson. Gus and Sam is in Williamsburg. Sam’s leg is improving everyday. He will not be able for duty for sometime. Mother I have no war news to write. We scarcely even get a newspaper or anything of the kind to read. You say that it is thought the Militia will be called out. If so, there will be no probability of our being moved south. Honorable Henry Gray has just arrived in our camp from Manassas. I think there will be a fight on the Potomack before long. The Yankees must be afraid to attack us on the peninsula for we have given then several banters for a open field fight but they won’t accept the challenge. Nothing more at present. I will again to you or some of the family as soon as we get the clothing. As ever, your affectionate son,
 
Wint