To Corp. Jim Marshall
44th
Winter Quarters
Cousin Jim,
Oh, What a Glorious Day this is !
The newspapers are full of the news that our Congress has Finally agreed to
lower the conscription age to 17 !
My days with the Home Guard are soon coming to an end. Captain Bagby
and about 30 of us were down to
The cold has not given up, and I took such a fall on the
ice that I can scarcely walk, am very lame, but expect to get better each day.
I spend much of day anticipating my coming service to our Country. Charles
Watkins came by and
has a saddle for sale, but I didn’t like it and he was asking $60.00 for it. Mrs Eliza Simpkins has told me she will make me a pair of
pantaloons, and I plan to go up to Mr. Boulware’s soon
to try to buy his horse. He said he will not sell, but I am determined to ride.
Wednesday I am going to Stephensville
to get a letter of introduction to Lt. Col. Mosby from Mr. Halbach,
I expect certainly to start up with him in a week or two.
Mother is making every preparation to get Brother and
myself ready to leave. Fred has been home on leave from the 26th
I must soon get accustomed to addressing Fred as
Lieutenant, and you as Corporal, and I must say I look so forward to it.
There are so many that I need to see and say goodbye to. I
imagine that I will be spending dinner in a different dining room each night
for the next few weeks !
Your Cousin, Benjamin Fleet ( soon to be Private Fleet )