"Eseck G. Wilber letter to his parents, William and Clarissa Wilber." (1863) Rice University: https://hdl.handle.net/1911/92562. [[Page 1]] 1863 Camp near Falmouth Va Jan 30th Dear Parents it is with plesure that I take my pen to write a few times to you to tell you that I am well that is I consider myself so I am out of the Hospital but I have not done any duty yet nor I shant until I get stout as I was before I was sick I take some medisin yet I go to the doctors every day and he gives me something to strengthen me: I have got very comfortable quarters and I had rather be here then in the Hospital. I hope when your receive this letter that it will find you all well at least so as to all be around father said he was as tuff as a buck and I hope he will continue so and all the rest of you have as good health as he has got: the weather is bad here it snowed here yesterday all day as hard as it could put [[Page 2]] in and this morning the snow was about six inches deep and day before yesterday it rained all day and there is lots of mud here I tell you it has cleared up to day and the sun shines out very nise they say arond here that the never knew so much snow here but it will not stay on long: the whole army is stuck in the mud and how long it will stay so I know not but it looks as if it would be some time for you can scarce move an emty wagon with four horses before it: if it was not for the cass we should hardly be able to get any thing to eat but they come within a short distance of here so we can get provision : I understand that Burnside is turned out of his office if this is so I am very glad of it for he has made some bad moves he has lost more men by the moves he has lost more men then he lost at the battle of Fredricksburge he has [[Page 3]] lost them by marching them through the mud and storm and exposeing them to evry hardship you can think of and such a General as that is not fit to have comand of an army: and I hope that it will soon be so that there will be no call for any ones haveing command of the army but I do not know as if will: there is a good many sick in our regment we can not muster over 400 men that is fit for duty in the whole regment: I rather guess that I made A mistake when I wrote to you I wrote that I had got the tow dollars that I sent for I did not notice the money in particular I thought that they was both 1 dollar but come to look I see that there was three dollars insted of tow but it wont make any diference you will know that it was a mistake: now I have wrote all that I think of to write so I will bring my letter to A close when [[Page 4]] you write tell me all the news that you know of tell me how Uncle Mirons folks gets along tell me how Uncle kin makes it go and wether you have hear from Cousin kin or not tell me the news in the neighborhood if there is any tell me the war news if you get any in your paper : tell trumy and Hetty that they must go to school every day for when I come home I want to have them cipher and read and write for me : now I will bid you good bye for this time: this from your son Eseck G Wilber Direct To Eseck G Wilber 120 Reg NY S V Co K in care of Capt Pierson write soon as you can