Transcription

                       Washington Jan 1st 1862

To my kind parents

                         Received your kind

letter yesterday it is needless for me

to tell you the joy it gave me to

read it or them you wished me a merry

christmas and now I will take this opertinity

of wishing you a happy new year one and

all  Aunt Polly to.  Christmas day I

was on cenrty duty two hours and

the rest of the day I had to myself.

when I was on duty I was stationed within

a few rods of Columbia Colledge

I do not know as I ever enjoyed a hapier

Christmas in my life the next day we

drilled in the saber exercise &c the

next day we were drilled in the inspection

of arms  Saturday we drilled with the

saber and marched out to see a reg

of lancers drill it was a splendid thing

Sunday we were out on inspection in the

[Marginalia – Top of page]

Some of you write soon and

let me know the news in general 

[See page 4 for marginalia in top left corner of this page]