Will Fisher to his mother
I Co. 123rd Regt. 1st Div. 20th Army Corps.
Holly Springs
April 27, 1865

Stationary reads:
The New York Branch of
THE U.S. CHRISTIAN COMMISSION
30 Bible House, New York
Send this as the Soldier’s Messenger to his Home
Let it haste to those who wait for tidings

My dear Mother,

I wrote you a short letter yesterday & I don’t know how I came to forget to tell you that the box got here last Sabbath. It came form Newberne Saturday & the next morning the wagons brought it up to camp. There was a whole wagon load for our regt.
As soon as I could shoulder mine, get it to the tent & call Larmon, smash went the axe under the cover & there lay the whole contents, clothing, butter, papers and all, and what do your suppose was the condition? Why it was in the most horrible – excellent condition imaginable. The pies were a mass of mold, the butter a little tainted & everything else in as good condition as when put in. Not a stitch of the clothing was so much as greased. Every newspaper was greased through completely & nothing else. My bible was splendid. The fruit cake was as nice as you please, also the “snaps.” I found the wedding cake & a note from Min containing the sample of the dress.
The envelopes & paper were all right & I cannot say too much in favor of your good judgment & taste in selecting my clothes. They could not have fitted better, possibly. I don’t know how I can repay you for so much. I use the butter to fry fresh beef in & have stewed currents for tea nowadays. Both shirts, the vest & my best suit of soldier clothes I have had the good fortune to get carried & shall not wear them at present but wear them when I come home.
Skellie’s box with boots did not come & I think very probable will be sent back home before it reaches here. But I am well shod & will only have to lose one pair of the boots in case they are lost &, upon the whole, I think I have been extremely fortunate.
Larmon’s things were all nice & suited. I saw lots of larger boxes than mine, marked “contents examined, found rotten & thrown out” & others that contained clothing were entirely rotten, even to boots. The papers, all but the “mission tract” by Dr. Lansing, were badly greased up. I could not help but observe how all valuable things were preserved & the newspapers spoiled but the newspapers were what preserved the rest. Nothing was totally lost but the pies. Again I thank you as much as I can under the circumstances for your trouble & pains and expense in preparing it. I got the gloves also & the tobacco too. If I have forgotten anything excuse it, for I got it all.
This is the 2nd day we have laid here & tomorrow I think we go back to Raleigh. I cannot find out the situation but guess everything is being settled up all right. Gen. Grant & Sherman are both here. I have seen Grant.
A great deal of love for my dear Aunt & yourself.

from Willie