Fairfax Station - February 3, 1863

Dear Parents,

I presume that you will have learned before this reaches you that I have had what you most feared the measles. When I last wrote you I told you that I had been unwell for several days and that the surgeon said that l was billious. Mistaken man! The next morning as expected I was sick as a dog but I got along nicely and now am able to sit up all day and should go out were it good weather. I must tell you that it did not take the whole Regiment to take care of me, indeed all I wanted was to be still and drink cold water. That tasted the best of anything except lemons, and those were recommended by the doctor and I ate what I wanted of them.. You want particularly to know our officers. all I have to say about them as this: I never asked a favor of them that was not granted, and l have received some favors from Capt. Foster that were not expected and last night he came along and gave every one of his boys that had the measles a good nice lemon; and Lieut. Moore is always obliging anybody than don't try to shirk. Of Lieut. Whitmore I can say nothing only that he was a good Serg't Major and is a pretty smart fellow. He has not been with his company any as get. As for their drinking and gambling I couldn't say as I am not behind the scene. There is no doubt but that most of the officers in the Regiment drink more or less. I have no doubt but that ours do, but nobody has seen one of them intoxicated since we came to Virginia. Whether they ever did before or not I cannot tell, of course, though others may pretend to know.

Uncle Joseph has just been here. Mr. Balcom is in camp today and is going to take home some of the boys' money for them. I gave Uncle J. $30.00 which he is going to put with his and hand to Mr. Balcom all to be paid to you. Uncle proposed this as Aunt M. is at Plymouth I suppose, and he thought it would be more convenient for you to get it for her. Perhaps you may think that I have sent myself short but it is not so. I have about $12 left and if we get home in June that will be plenty enough to last, even if we are not paid off again.

I have been out in the street today and mean to go again if nothing happens. In short, I am getting along nicely though I do not intend to go on duty for some time. The weather today is clear and pleasant though quite cold. The measles are having a pretty general promenade through Camp. Joseph Weston has got them hard a great deal harder than I had them I should think according to their tell, that he makes almost as much fuss about it as Father did. Father used to say that he could taste his measles long afterward, but I have got done tasting mine already. They didn't taste good enough to make it an object to hold the flavor long.

You should have been in camp the day after we were paid off. Everybody was rich and almost everybody was trying to trade watches. The cry was "Who wants to buy a watch? Who wants to swap watches? I'll stump the whole state of Virginia to swap watches with me, etc. etc." Orderly Fletcher has so far recovered that he was in camp yesterday, though he returned to his quarters at night. He will probably soon resume his position in the company unless he is promoted, and we shall be glad to see him for of all the orderlies in the world Willey is about the poorest, and it would be an awful task for a new hand to take them now that they have grown so careless and indifferent under Willey's tuition. They fall in when they please, and out about the same unless sore of the commissioned officers happen to be present,- then they will do very well.

February 4th: I have been out again this afternoon and got a breath of fresh air. I am sorry for Jacob that he could not get along with his school, should have supposed he would have tried hard to keep ahead of his scholars, but I suppose he did as he thought best, even at the time he so mortally offended Isadore. Jacob was a good boy and loved life, but I never thought he would make a great school teacher, yet I was in hopes that he would nave no trouble....

I have got an old hill dated 1761 that I am going to enclose. I have got another of a little different description that I would send but it has no date. I wish you could continue to send me two or three good pens, in a paper or some way, but if you can't I can get along somehow without them. About the boxes, I have as yet said nothing, but now that my appetite is just returning the contents of it will come very handy. I had eaten nothing of any consequence for several days before I came down with the measles and when I first began to eat again the crackers came handy, and now I imagine the other edibles will have to suffer also. I am glad that you sent the sausages raw as they will keep better and we can get frying pans enough,-we have a good one in our tent that belongs to the Orderly's stove, and when they take the stove away, half a canteen makes a good pan, and that we can get any time. We are not such destitute people after all, but have furniture, houses, etc.- like civilized people. Father will, I suppose, get the money from Mr. Balcom and take care of it. I don't know certainly how much Uncle Joseph put in, but guess $20, making $50 in all. Mr. B. leaves in the morning though I don't know whether he goes directly home or not, but I must close for the present. H.G.Day

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Contributed by Linda M. Welch, Dartmouth College, Windsor County researcher.

Return to the Index of Hezron's letters..

See also Hezron's biography, and his memoir of the Gettysburg Campaign.