Saturday June 6th [1865]
		I am at leisure
     this afternoon, being put on
fatigue this morning on a fort, we
had our stent, and got it done
by noon. Before coming up from
town I bought a lb. of Butter (60/cts and
3 Lemons for 50 cts. I drink lemonade
instead of coffee, which does not
agree with me. The lemon acid is
good for scurvy. which the boys are
inclined to have.
My dinner was a little extra this
noon. I cut a little dried beef into the
frying pan. found a few little dried up
potates the Sanitary com. had
distributed. Sliced them in put in
some water, a little butter and put it
over the fire, toasted some bread and
put that in, It tasted good
notwithstanding the cinders and
ashes. got in from the chimney some
Day before yesterday I was on picket
for the first time, one of the boys said


how curious it would look to the
folks at home, to see us marching
out into the woods. with our guns.
blankets and provisions, to stay 24 houres
It was a pleasent day. My post was looked
out on the prairie, I enjoyed it as
much as the little flies and mosquitoes
would let me, they are not like the flies
north, they are not afraid of anything
you can hardly, brush them off, I slept
but little, and when I got back to
to camp yesterday morning I was
completely tired out, we are not
allowed to take our cartridge boxes with
40 rounds in. and our bayonets belts
off during the 24 houres. It gave me the
diarrhea some, but I do not fear it as
much as I did,
The Finch boys are back to camp Perry is
getting along well
Our water tastes very bad. dead mules
lay in the river,
It is not a week since I wrote but I
will send this along   From Fred.