Dear Brother,

I expect you have thought that I have forgot you but I have not Charley it is very rainy and mudy here to day I dont know hardly what to tell you about we have been in Alexandria Virginia and the first night we came there we slept in the House where Elaworth was killed and then we encampt about a 1/2 a mile out of town we was their a few days when we was ordered to Guard the town and he had nice times when we where their is a good many Houses deserted and the pepole have left and gone in the southern army and one Splendid Brick House where the pepole left it and they left one of their Slaves and all their Furniture and things so I got acquainted with the Slave and he give me a good many things out of the house he give me as much writing paper as i could carry and a splendid large Shale it is worth 6 or 8 dollars it is new and never been wore he said a young fellow that live there Brought it and never but once or twice it would do for you this winter in place of an over coat and if i can send it on any way why i will this is a secesionist sheet of writing which he give and I thought I would send it to you so you can tell the folks that a Slave give it to me out of a secesionist house I have got three or four more sheets of it and all the fellows wants to Bury it no more at Present your affectionate Brother

Edward Fox

Camp Casey Nov. 17th 1861

Dear Brother,

I now take the opportunity of sending you a few more lines hoping to find you all well.  I received a letter from George and Joe was sorry to hear that Joe was unwell.  Charley tell Joe if he is sick much he need not go to School this winter and can recite his Lessons at home also say to Mrs. Casey if she thinks best for Joe to stay from school this winter I am perfectly willing he shall quit as I know he is not healthy and think it best to look to his health while he is young I take all responsiblity on myself so she can act for me.  I send Joe$2.00 for to save or put to a good use  I sent George 10.00 and told him to get Joe Boots.  Eddy Regt will be paid next week I expect I dont think we will go to South Carolina by the looks of things but I will always write to some of you so you can always know were I am.  Charley it is very cold here now and we are all anxious to get in Barricks or go down south farther but I think the Jersey Boys can stand much as any of them and by next spring I think we will be in Trenton.

I expect you seen all about our mares in Joes Letter Eddy was in my tent yesterday just before I got Joes letter so I have not had a chance to show him the letter nor Topsy's Hair but I know he will Laugh when I show it to him.  Charley tell George if he has not sent my under shirts to get Joe to look for my buckskin gloves I think they are in my old over Coat and send them to for we cant get in Washington to buy anything.  Charley you must excuse me for not writing more than I do as it is hard to find news for all but I will do the best I can you can show Joe the letter and give him the money we dont get much so a great deal cant be expected I send the remainider of my money to Annie.  I shall have to close by sending my love to all our folks Eddy joins in the same hoping to find you all well as Eddy and myself are at Present.  I bid you Adeiu

I remain your affectionate Brother Saml. M. Fox

Tell Joe to write again soon and you and George to let me know if you get this letter.

P.S. give my best wishes to all inquiring Friends.

Camp on Meradian Hill Nov 30th 1861

Dear Brother

I thought I would write you a few lines we are now about to leave for Agua Creek and the 8th regt left this morning and we are to leave to morrow I have sent your shawl I promised you I sent it By Mr. Striker he belongs he belongs to Company A. in trenton he said he would leave it with Sturl Rullen so you can see him and get it.  Tell Joe that I will send him a Present as soon as I see something nice Charley tell me have mutch weigh I weight one hundred and one pounds with my coat off I want to see if you can beat that I am gaining every day when I come home I expect to start a store of some kind when you write direct your letters the same as you did before and we will get them.  and tell george the same and tell Sturl pullen so to and we will get the letters all right give my respect to tall the Boys.  tell Joe I got Topsy's hair that he sent me tell him and George to write I will write the next letter to Joe.

From your Brother E. D. Fox

I made a great mistake with this letter it was a large sheet of Paper and I cut it after I had wrote it and that is the reason why you see this writing so scatered.  

Dec. 3rd 1861

Dear Brother

I received your letter also Joes and Mr Joneses to day since I wrote to Trenton last we have moved to Bum Point Madowama Creek and expect to move to Budds Point in a day or so opposite the Rebels Battaries on the Potomac we come in Steam Boats all the way but 13 miles walking the rest and had a gay time of it we waded through water up to our waist and mud to our knees but are now in our tents.  Tell Joe and all I was glad to hear from them and happy to hear they was well as I am at present.  I cant write much know as I have not much time an account of the mail leaving you want me to tell you about getting a job drumming here I think you can get a job either in the 5th or 6th we are 1 drummer short but Eddy has been trying to get transferred to our Ret.  Now it is as I said I expect you can get in one or the other but you must know first you will see some pretty hard times marching.  But I dont want to discourage you all I can say is stay Home if possible if not you can come and see you take the Boat from Washington to this place (G. St. Warf  Washington is were we started from.  I wrote to Annie to not write until I sent word and to let you all know but I get the mail just the same now some of you write to her and let her know.  We are all doing well here our whole Brigade is here the 5 and 7 will be here to day they started 1 day after us. Tell Joe and Charley I will write as I can and tell Joe to let me know if his hen laid that Egg in his next I will write to Joe in a few days you need not think strange when I dont write as we march sometime before we know it.  I will now have to close Eddy is not here yet.

From your affectionate Brother S. M. Fox

Direct as before to Washington D. C.

All the Boys send there best respect to you.

five my love to Joe and Charley and show them this letter.

We have only stopped here for a day or so to wait for the 5th and 7th we will move 2 miles further then and encamp.

Camp Baker Stump Point Maryland Dec. 15th 1861

Dear Brother,

It is with pleasure I send you these lines on this beautiful Sabbath Day.  Charley there is nothing new occured here since I wrote last our vessels continue to run the rebels blockcade.  We heard very heavy firing all day yesterday in the direction of Bull Run to day our gun Boats are firing on a rebel Battery a little way above us I have not been down to see them but just heard we drove them out.  You may have seen in the Papers about a deserter coming over to Gen Hookers head quarters from the rebels he told our men there was over 200 men wanted to desert in this regt.  Eddy showed me your letter to him and I have just got one from joe tell Joe I will answer his letter soon also I will see Eddy about the money.  I was glad to hear George had got work and hope he may have it steady.  I felt very sorry to hear of the death of Mr. Jones Child which was such a nice little Babe.  We have had it very cold here nights and have got a small stove in our Tent which makes it very warm and we enjoy it very much.  Our Boys has just brought in a Shell which the rebels fired over in our Battery which did not burst -- it weighs 64 lbs they say our Boats was firing in the woods to see if there was any more Batterys there when a new Battery fired on them one ball hitting one of our boats the Harriet Lane them run up and fired shots every one bursting in their Battery silencing them right away we have a Battery on our side which is also firing to day -- Charley we hear cannon firing all the time here which makes it lively in Camp.  Our Officers say we will be home in time to draw the 1st Pay after we get ours on New Year here.  I hope it may be so not because I am tired of soldiering but to see our Glorious Union once more at Peace I will have to come a close by sending my love to all Our Folks.  Eddy joins in the same.

I remain Your Loving Brother Saml M. Fox

I expect a Letter from Annie soon as I have written to her.  Tell Joe I will let him know what to do witmy shirts when I write to him.  Tell him I got the Feathers and are going to show them to Eddy.

P.S.  I have just had some good things which Aunt Sarah sent Eddy & me from Philadelphia.  Eddy wrote to her and she answered him and sent us some Apples Cakes and Candies dried Beef which we enjoyed very well.

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