Will Fisher to his mother
Loudoun Valley, Virginia
December 9, 1862

Dear Mother,

I guess I might as well write tonight if I can’t hear from you again. I have been waiting for several days for a letter, but no letter came. Night after night look anxiously for the mail & tonight I gave up all hopes of one.
But, before I go any further, I must tell you the news. Today our winter quarters were all knocked in the head for we have orders to march at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning. No one knows where but it is reported we are going to Fredericksburg & some say we are going to Centreville & others to Winchester, but I think we are going to help old Burnside. (I wish it was Gen. George B. McClellan.) We don’t know whether we will go by railroad or march afoot.
Most all of the boys have got their quarters logged up for winter & got stoves, but, for once, we was lucky. We have no stove nor haven’t logged up any. I was badly disappointed the day when Albert got his box not to find any gloves for me &, more so, not to get any letter to know the reason why. Most every boy in the regt. has got a pair of gloves sent from home. I tell you, it is proper cold down here. It is no such weather as we had last winter. It has been colder here for a week than any day we had last winter. Jim had a pair sent in Lem’s box.
The boys feel rather bad about their stoves & some have just got some boxes from home. One of our boys has a box with a six quart pail full of butter & half of a cheese & a turkey all on hand now. He is selling out cheap tonight.
We lost one of our men last Friday. He was sick, that is confined, only 3 days. He had a kind of fever & diarrhea passing blood. There is an awful sight of this complaint in the regt. His name was Alonzo Morehouse from Hebron. I laid him out & put that fine shirt that I brought with me on to him. He had none of any kind only the government shirts. We buried him Sabbath day. We buried another one at the same time. The regt. has lost 8 men & Co. 1, 2. Morehouse’s folks know nothing of his sickness & tonight they will probably get the awful news. He was a very nice boy about my age.
I had a letter from John the other night. Was well. I think I have never felt so well in my life as I have for 3 weeks. I have gained over 15 pounds. Last winter I had nothing to do & I felt very lazy, but now I am on the go all the time & I feel first rate. I suppose you would not know me now. I have a very large pair of whiskers on the side of my face. Jimmy got a letter from Lem, & one from Will Sherman tonight.
How does Aunt Sarah do now? I hope she is comfortable. I need my gloves very bad and then some. I am actually suffering for gloves & a little money. I don’t want anything but these.
But I must close. I can’t mail this till noon tomorrow so I will put in before I close within. Good night. Love to all.

Write soon.
From your boy, Will