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Company K, Westborough Rifles
13th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers
Near Fletcher's ?, Va
March 12th, 1863
Cousin Ella,
Having received your kind and welcome letter march 2l will improve a few moments by answering it. I am well and enjoying a Soldier's life as well as I can under the present Circumstances, but if I was out of the Army I hardly think that they would get me to enlist again. I am about sick of Soldiering: & who would not be to be in an Army like this for almost two years I would like to know what Uncle thinks about the War & the manner in which it is carried on. I suppose that he thinks as almost everyone does that it is played out in the first place We have no officers that are fit to lead the men into a fight We have only one officer who is capable of moving an army life this and that is George B. McClellan and see how he has been used because he is not a Republican. Gen. Hooker is now in Command of the Army of the Potomac but I do not think him capable of moving the Army of the Potomac two hundred thousand strong, but perhaps he will do well enough. He is a Massachusetts man. Well Ella, we have seen some pretty tough times since I left Mass. We had over a thousand men in our regiment and now we have only 225 and we have been recruited over at that. I had my haversack shot from my sister at the Battle of Antetam but I was not wounded that was a terrible Battle our Regt was deployed as Skirmishers at the Battle of Fredricksburg & did not loose a great many we was very lucky their. I Received a letter from home a short while a go the folks are all well. Hattie & Adeline are at work in Marlboro they both run stitching machines they are making good money. How I should like to see Uncle John Hapgood now that he has returned from the West. I feel very sorry for Thomas Plankett I was well acquainted with him. Poor fellow, he was at work for Uncle John Cutting at the Same time I was at work in West Boylston. I an afraid that the Soldiers do not get much of the Stuff that is sent from home to them. We are in Winter quarters here and have been since the Battle of Fredricksburg we are quartered about 7 miles from the old battle field down the river we draw Soft Bread now and are living pretty well. I Received the papers that u ant sent me and found them interesting to read. I believe I have written all & | will close Give my best report to Uncle & Aunt & if I ever get back to Old Mass I shall come & see them.
Here Good Bye I shall be pleased to hear from you again
From your Cousin Frank
Fort Delaware, Del. Sept 7'n '64
Cousin Eller,
I have a few moments to write and it is with pleasure that I write to you and let you know that I am a live and well and tuff and I hope this will find you the same and all the rest of the folks. I have not herd from you but the resen was that you did not know whare to direct a letter but you mint of herd whare I was if you had asked cousin Sarah but mebe you did not have time to write but l ges that Mr Frank Pingery willexcuse you long a nuff to write to me and I shold be glad to hear from you or Uncle & Aunt and hear how all the folk ar and all the news. I have wrote fore letters home and have not hers a word from them and so I thot that I wold write you a few lines and see if you have seene them and if you have plese write if how they ar and if they ar well and when you see them you can tell them that I wold like to hear from them. the Regt has moved from it old camp to this Fort for the purpose of garding the Rebels (prisoner) and thar is a lot of them and thay come most eavry day and thare is now about 14 thousand heare and that is a nuff for we have to go on gard avry other day and take care if a gun and if thar is a little rust on it it is extra duty but I was on gard a Sun day and the folks sed that it rained but l thot that thay did not strane (?) it much for the raine came down by the tub full it rained the hard the last to ours that I was on and it wet me through and I had on my thick over cot and my ruber to but thare is nothing that will stop it when it comes down so and the mud is puty bad it trubles me som but not much. I have not much more to say this time Henry Burnam is on gard to day and he is as tuff as a ox and he send his love to all the folks and to Mr Pingry and so I will stop writing this wonce (?) and close by asking you to excuse myestaks and bad writing so good by give my love to Uncle & Aunt and save a share for your self plese write as soon as conveant I can't think of any more so good by from your Cousin Charles W. Hapgood plese Directo Co. E 6 Reg. Mass Vol.
Fort Delaware Del. Sept 18'" 1864
Cousin Ella,
I received your letter last Thursday. I was glad to hear from you and to hear that you ar well. I am well and hope this will find you the same and all the folks. I had a letter from cousin Hattie Gould last Friday the folks ar all well I have had three letters from home since I wrot to you and a box to. I tell you that I live like home I and a goate have a milk test tonight I had all the rost meet that I cold eat for diner we live more like home for the last weak but before that we lived like hogs but then I am good for it the rest?day lgesandasmenymoreontopof itifthaywantme butlgesthatthaywill not.tharewas five hundred rebels left hear today but I expecto more then that com to day thar is som come most ovry day. I think that ierome willwish that he staid to home with his Dear wife that is if he goes whare I have benn. Itellyou he is fulish to get Married and then run off when lget Married lwillstayto home, lt is bad a nuff to have my folks weary a bout me wall Ella I must close this letter for I have gut my gun to clean for to go on gard to morrow morning and lt has to shine so that you can see your face in it if it don't it will not pass muster and now I will stop writing and go to work. lt don't make any ords a bout working out hear a Sunday this is the first Sunday Ihave ben off guard since I left home wall Ella I must stop for this time give my to Uncle & Aunt and save a share for yourself so good by
From your Cousin
Charles W. Hapgood
Write soon