[Written around sides of Scan 1]
I find
a few
stamps
in every
letter
for which
I am 
very
thankfull
to you
Dear Mother
you keep
me in 
stamps
all the time
and will if 
I dont write to the Girls
to often
and I guess they dont want to hear from me for I don't
get any answers yet from some
see I think I shall stop writing so Good night

[End]

[Written upside down underneath location of Scan 1]
Benjamin F Marsh

[End]

	Camp Near Fredricksburgh. V.a.
		          Jan 21st 1863
	Dear Mother    I received
a welcome letter from you 
to night and have just finished
reading it it was dated the 11th
with a fine lot of tea which I
think a great deal of I thank you
for it I will have a nice cup
in the morning which will seem
like Home I wish I could write all
I want to tell you I could tell
you more in one evening than
I can write in all day I am glad
you have heard from Alvah
I think he has got his box by
this time mine was all right
the Apples wer all right but one
which was about half rotten but
it dident wet any thing I suppose
you have one sheet of the paper


you sent me before this time
I thought I would take a small sheet
to night for I have a poor light to
write by as we dont draw any candles
now we save the grease that fries
out of the pork and make a
[shot?] light. this is the first time
I have bin in a still place to
write since I left home all the
boys have gone to bed and it is
still. I am in a tent with five
others DeWitt is one of them.
tell Mrs. Spaulding if you see her I
should be very happy to receive
a letter from her I should
have written to them before
now but I dont get time to do
what writing I do hardly for
we have bin building and
fixing for winter and now
we have got to leave them for
we are under marching orders

[Written on right side of Scan 2]
tell the Girls I think a great deal of those [continued on side of Scan 3]

[End]

[Written on top/left side of Scan 2]
write often and I will
write soon & I will [illegible in original] write long letters & I will

[End] 

	tell her she must take good
care of my dog. also tell Mr
Spaulding he may put in a few
extra Apples for me if he leases
as you say he is going to send
DeWitt a box tell him to direct
it to D. C Spaulding Co G 8th Mich
Vol Inft Washington D.C.
    	in care of quartermaster
		        E.. Williams
      I am glad the Presbyterians have
got their church done it must
seem good to hear a bell Sunday
once more. Mother I think I
shall go to that supper and
dance so I guess you will have
to stay at home this time
that is if I can get a Lady
to go with I dont know as
I could I guess I shall be a
fraid al the Girls if I ever get
home for I dont see one and

[Written on left side/top of Scan 3 – continuation of Scan 2]
Pictures I found in my envelopes as a Prize I thank
them for them

[End]

a month here and then they
are sesesh and all they know
about cooking is to wet cornmeal
in cold water and bake it before
the fire. they dont know enough
to freshen salt pork as true as
I live thats [so?] [illegible]. I see my
ticket is rather past date but
I will simmer it over and I
guess it will be good…
you need not wory about me
nor my Pants I have got a
new pair now but my
money is gone and I will
have to wait until Pay day
I dont hardly know what to
have you send me if you can
send a little butter it would 
be very nice I have to pay 79-cts
a pound for it here some cake
would be very nice to Mrs Bangs
sent DeWitt some very nice Christmas
cake you can fix up something of
that kind I dont think of any thing
in Particular that I want send just
what you like in the line of eatables
and let it go at that 
this from your Loving Son B F. Marsh

[Written at bottom and around sides of Scan 4]
tell 
Freddy if he wants to send me anything he can get 
me some Pea nuts or something of
that kind [mark illegible] he done first rate before tell him I thank him

[End]