Clapp, George (fl. 1839-1892) to parents

Letter came last night and the box came the day before. Before then, there had not been any mail for 4 days, so when the call to "fall in for mail" came, the entire company was very excited. Lampoons the idea of the high-class, "high minded and noble blooded" FFVs (First Families of Virginia) who represent the planter class in the South. Occasionally sees a "scion of one of these FFVs… saying to himself 'Oh my Father where art thou now! Where is thy hiding place that I might take refuge with thee.'" Is very grateful for having received the box. The food in the box came in great condition and reminded him of eating around the table at home. Has too many people to thank for the box individually, but thanks them all. The vest does not fit under his coat. Has started to write in his diary. Is "done with cold fingers" now that he has good gloves. Enjoyed the tea and desserts very much. Received 20 extra rounds one morning "in expectation of a quick and immediate move." The frying pan is working very well, and he is glad to have it. Thinks the shirts might be the best present in the box. No one in the regiment is lacking clothes, for they all just got new uniforms from the government. The problem is that they cannot take any more because they threw away their old clothes from the Gettysburg campaign when they went to New York. Another man in his squad has sent for an axe. He wants an axe so he can "do all the shingling in Virginia." Is "perfectly satisfied" with the coffee pot. "I live pretty well for a soldier don't you?" Two of the men in his squad can neither read nor write, so he writes all of their letters for them and reads them the letters they receive. Between the letters he writes for them and for himself he writes "one or two letters per day." People read aloud in his tent every night. They did not have anything to light the tents with until he went to the place where they slaughter the beef and found some tallow to burn. Does not want the issue of temperance to "be the means of burning up the town." The men around him are "great specimens of the patriotic North." A few brigades in his division have gone to Ohio to guard Confederate prisoners. Sends his love to his aunts.