No 11th Camp Kellogg, Grd. Rapids November 28th 1862 Dear Father, Mother, and Nell, yesterday evening I received a letter, directed in Nells hand but being in a hurry just then I thrust it, as I supposed, into my blouse pocket. But when I came to look for it, to read it, it I could not find ^ neither then nor after a long and careful search, I commenced a search for it again this morning by daylight, but it had snowed considerable during the night and consequently my search was again fruitless. I still have some hopes of finding it if the snow should go off in a few days. It was the most severe loss I ever met with, for a letter from home is not only one of the ^ luxuries but necessaries of a soldiers life, and I feel as though I had lost a pearl of inestimable value. I am in my usual good health, as are the other boys, with the excep tion of Allen Park whose Shoulder hurts him some during the present stormy weather. I hope this may find you all enjoying good health. We have had good weather here all along until yesterday morning when it commenced a slight snow storm which continued without cessation during the day and night and continues it harder than ever this morning, and as the ground is dry and frozen it does not melt so that we have about four inches of it at present on the ground. It furnishes us with a clean, white tablecloth every morning noon, and night, which although looking very well makes our bread and cheese rather cold to handle. We have not removed into our new house yet, but hope to within a few days, as the carpenters are busy at work on it every day. I do not know the exact plan of it, but from what I can learn I fear we shall not be as well suited with it as with our present one. It may be a little warmer in its outward build but the inter nal arrangements will not be as good as this. Our Capt. is sick with the lung fever, and has been removed to the city this morning. The company is filling up slowly but surely. Every evening some of the absentees come in f bringing from one to three recruits with them and we must now number about ninety men all told. The other companies are coming in again and we have about 400 men of our company regiment now in camp. Our rifles and sabres are nearly all here but I presume we shall not receive them while we remain here. I do not think that we shall get any horses while we remain here or at least not until we are nearly ready to move. There will not be any place here to drill with any horses, or with men after winter sets in and snow falls to any depth. We can not pro cure a proper place of shelter for horses or forage for them in this bleak, Greenland of a place. The 6th are losing many horses even in this comfortable weather and their hay is soon spoilt after being brought and stacked up on the ground. It is bad enough to go to break fast in the face of a driving snow storm, and have plates, cups, and bread covered an inch deep with snow without being compelled to take care of the horses besides 11th Some of the arms have been opened for inspection and prove to be very good ones. The rifles are short and very light ones. They are about three feet and a half long and weigh but five pounds and three quarters, and are calcula ted to shoot with certainty a dis tance of five hundred yards. The only objections that I can find with them are that they are muzzle loading, besides not being the same kind that were prom ised us when we enlisted. Still I do not know as any one is to be blamed for that, and therefore I shall not grumble about it. I only wish they would hurry up the thing and set us to work by spring at least. Some one asked Captain Walker the other day when the other companies would come in for this regiment and he answered that as near as h he could guess they would begin to come in about the first of next May. This is about as full of truth as the answers of Cols. Kellogg and Mann on this subject. But to the arms again. Our Sabres are the regular cavalry sabres, and also of the nicest pattern. One or two boxes were broken open in handling so that there could be no picking from the lot. Col. Mann took one of them yesterday, and placing the point on the floor laid his weight upon it and bent it until the hilt touched the point and letting go of it, it instantly sprung back straight as ever. He then repeated the operation bending it the other way without injuring it in the least. He then tried an officers sword of a costly pattern, but soon desisted as it did not show signs of as good metal. We are now drawing our rations from the Quartermasters depart ment, and fare a little better than we did last week. We shall have new cooking apart ments as soon as we get into our new barracks, probably next week. The 6th Regt. is under march ing orders to leave the 5th of December But I presume that it will be longer than that before they go. They expect to go into Banks division on his expedition to Texas. He then repeated the operation bending it the other way without injuring it in the least. He then tried an officers sword of a costly pattern, but soon desisted as it did not show signs of as good metal. We are now drawing our rations from the Quartermasters depart ment, and fare a little better than we did last week. We shall have new cooking apart ments as soon as we get into our new barracks, probably next week. The 6th Regt. is under march ing orders to leave the 5th of December But I presume that it will be longer than that before they go. They expect to go into Banks division on his expedition to Texas.