Will Fisher to his brother
Stafford C. H.
February 28, 1863

Dear Brother,

It seems an age since I had received or written a word to you, but upon an examination of the facts I find I am in debt to you for a letter which I received a few days ago & the reason I have not answered it is because I have been a little sick & did not feel like writing. I have had a good run of diarrhea & it has taken about 27 lb of flesh off of me in 2 weeks but I have got it broken up now & feel a good deal better.
We have lost 2 men out of our company since I wrote you. The first was Jesse P. Wood, the Widow Wood’s son, at the Center & the other was William Scott, the one that married Charlotte Hover. The former died Sunday before last of dropsy & inflammation on kidneys. The latter died just a week after of camp fever. They were both sent home.
Mr. Gordon has just returned from home on a furlough of ten days. Capt. Hall also went home at the same time, but has not returned yet. He has been sick while home. There seems to be a general scarcity of men just now.
I know of nothing worth while to write. We were mustered again today for two months more pay. I am in hopes we will get another payment before long.
I was sorry to hear of your illness. I hope you will not lose your health, but I am afraid you never will stand confinement.
I am going to write to the friends in Philadelphia tomorrow. I should like to get up there & make you & them a visit. When this war will close so as to allow me to do this is more than I can tell but I hope it wont be long.
The boys are all as well as usual. The Putnam boys are also well as far as I know. I am the best acquainted with Leroy Cummings, but I know the rest of them by sight.
Dear John,
I suppose by this time you have become somewhat alarmed because you have not heard from me but I will explain it to you. You will see by the date of this that I wrote it some time ago & sent it to the mail bag by one of the boys in my tent & here I have been waiting for an answer till yesterday he found the letter in his jacket. He had forgotten to mail it so I thought explain the matter to you and send it along.
There is nothing new since, except Jim Sherman has gone home on a furlough of 20 days for his health. Capt. Hall has got back. We got a barrel of provisions from home the other day. It wasn’t very bad to take.
I had a pair of boots from H. Culver which cost six dollars. They were too small so I sold them for 11.00.

I am as ever your brother,
Will