Dear Mary,-

Our life in Camp has become very monotonous again and in addition to the monotony one has that lonely feeling as if something was wanted or something was missing and we do not know really what we want. I feel it more since the battle which I suppose is caused by the reaction after the excitement of such a time. And then brother Will is away and so many of the men gone it makes me feel lonely. I have more work to perform but it is of that kind which does not take any attention or occupy my mind, which I need most. Then we have no books or papers to get interested in. If I had any way to carry them if we should move I should have some that would be interesting. All that I have now is my Bible and the Army Tactics, both of which I study. Do not understand that I am not interested in these for I am very much, but one thing all of the time makes Jack a dull boy.

I am on duty twice a week, twenty-four hours each time, which makes two days and nights I am out in a week. When I am Officer of the Picket I go out to the line with the men at nine o'clock A. M. and return at the same hour the next day. The first thing I do after I go out to the line I post my men, relieving those who have been on duty both at the reserve and on the line. The detail I have with me I divide into three reliefs, the first to go on duty on the line as soon as we get there to stay for two hours, when the second takes their place, and the third relief takes the second's place in two hours again. Then the first will relieve the third and so on, which gives the men two hours on post and four hours off. I visit the line every two hours,- that is, every time a relief goes on duty. The remainder of the time I stay with the two reliefs that are off duty and is called the reserve.