January 26th, 1862

Camp Betty Black Jan 26 1862

Dear Mag

            I received your kind / letter last week. but as Gust / had just written to you . I thought / I would wait awhile longer. and / now I expect  I am  telling you the / same story he did. he received a letter from Bob & Ike which stated / that mother had given up her trip / to the west and that she a  Mary Jane / had gone to Curllsville. If they are / there tell them to write as soon as / possible  We recd your Kind  presents / a have them nearly finished. we are still pretty hard on the “sarres” / some of the sausages and turkeys / were spoiled. wasant it a pity after you folks going to so much / trouble to send them to us. the chicken /  Julie sent was first-rate. I owe /

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 a thousand thanks and if I live / to get back I will give her a / good squeezing for it  We are still/ in the same old place. But as usual / I don’t think we will be here much / longer, we expected to go on the Bur / nsides expedition but were dissapointed / nothing would have pleased me / more than to have gone with it / but such is the fortune of war / Now we have sent all of our extra / baggage into Washington with the / expectation of going somewhere else / wether we will be again dissappointed / remains to be seen. But I hope not / nor do I think we will  Did / you get those pictures. I hope you did as they are the best I / have had taken yet. dont you / think so.  If Alfred Thomas would / like to come to war, and an easy job / would be any enducement. I will give him the one I have. That is the /

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Post of Bugler as he is good / on that instrument I hear  I have/ two Offices so you Know I could / spare one very easily. Bill Myers / and paid a visit to the far famed / city of Alexandria. it is a very nice / place and much larger than I / expected. it contains about sixteen / thousand inhabitants. that double / picture was taken in the  Marshall / House in which Ellsworth was Killed  These photographs were bought / in Alexandria  If Mother & Mary / Jane are at your house let them / read this very interesting letter / it is not interesting but I can’t help / it as there is nothing to write about / that would interest you

The mud in our camp is about two / feet deep and still rising/

Write soon to your

Bro Gan

(Gust sends his love to all)