Doten, Jason L. Letters (1862)

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Fort Lincoln, Md. 
Feb 8th 1862 

Dear Father 

I received your kind 
letter of Jan. 20th a few days ago 
and you may be sure that I was very 
glad to hear from home again. 

I was very glad to hear that you 
were all well, and specially that your 
health had improved since you wrote 
before. My health is good except 
a bad cold that I have had for a few 
days, but my health has been first 
rate all the while past and I hope 
it will continue so. I was very glad 
to know that Mother’s health is 
so good as it is. I hope this will 
find you all well and getting along 
nicely. I received Mother’s letter 
in due time and I wrote to her since 
I dare say she has got it before this 
time I wrote to Thaddeus but I have 

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not had any from him since 
I have not had any letter from John 
nor Wm this long time I think 
they might write once in a while.

I wrote to Wm about a fortnight 
ago I think it was I may get word 
from him soon. I did not get your 
letter so soon as I had ought to 
I had ought to have got it the last 
of Jan and then I should have written 
a week agoe today so it makes it 
a week later before you can get an 
answer from me, than it would 
have been if yours had come to 
hand as soon as it should. 

I am glad you have got my box of clothes 
I am glad they went safe and did not get hurt 
I think they were worth sending home 
you will understand that they are not such 
as I wear, but they were given to me while 
I was on davids Island N.Y. 

the  coat is quite good looking but I dont 
expect it will wear very well. 

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the pants I think are quite good. the old 
pants are my first pair I drawed in Augusta 
last winter and that is some of my mending 
that coton jacket was my stable jacket 
cavalry & mounted Batteries are furnished with those 
on purpose to tend horses in. those shoes are a pair 
that I bought after I was payed off last 
July and I wore them through the summer 
and I thought they would not be of much 
benefit out here this winter in the mud so 
I sent them home that neckerchief is the 
one I wore from home & that cap is the first 
one I drawed  in Augusta. I kept some of 
the clothes that I got but the most of them 
I did not need, so you see that I do not lack 
for clothes those books are Johns he lent me that 
little one when I went away. Oh about those peach 
stones I sent them for some of you to try your 
luck in making a ring I made that one that I sent 
I should like to hear from the boys in the woods. 
I am glad they have got a good crew and get 
along so well. you say that you suppose I have 
seen Bela before this time. I  would say I have 
not seen him yet, I ment to have gone to see him before 
this time but something would turn out  every 
time to prevent me but I mean to go just as soon 
as I can. You want to know how Rurges does 
his health is very much improved since he left 
maine and he gets along well I guess but I do not 
make any more talk with him than if he was 
an entire stranger, he is a Lieu. now and I dont 
pretend to crawl around any of the oficers or hardly 

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speak to them unless they ask me 
a question. I do not think enough of them 
to be any ways familiar with them 
We neve have had what we enlisted for 
and since we left maine there has neve 
been a very good feeling existing between 
the oficers nor between men & oficers there 
has neve been any great trouble but a dissatis- 
faction. We have about one hundred men now 
some having died and a great many discharged 
you think there might be a few christians in 
this Battery I dare say there is some good 
men but we are not favored with a preacher 
and our privaledges are few. I go to meeting 
once in a while but it so happens that 
I get your letters generaly Satardays and 
then I have to write sundays or els 
you would not get them next sat. 

you want to know how we spend our sabboths 
some go to meeting and some go one place and 
some another. George Dightman is sick in 
N.Y. on Davids Island you want to know 
who mends & washes my clothes. I do my own 
washing & mending. I can ge clothes any 
time that I want them I think I wrote 
in Mothers the particulars concerning 
clothing I am in hopes to be payed off soon 
if you need any money you know where 
to find it help your self you must 
be careful of old Burrell I never would 
have given him so much I wish I had 
that honey that you let old rascal have 
so Helen Rining has go a baby has she 
well she is right enough in saying it is 
Georges I guess. I wonder that she went clear as 
long as she ded for I have known of Geo & her 
tricks but dont let any of them know that I 
said so What will Nathan say & wher is 
George Thaddeus wrote me that he had gone 
away give my love to all this from your son 

Jason S. Doten