November 1st, 1861
Dear Perrants,
I received your letter day before yesterday. It was dated the 23 of Oct. I was glad to hear from you and that you was so well there. You wrote to me that you herd that the Pa. solgers was all killed in that hard fite but none of the Pa. solgers was there. That paper will tell you all I know about it. I have sent 3 news papers there. I wrote one letter the 11 or 12 of Oct. I dont know whitch. I have received 5 letters from you. I dont know how meny letters I have wrote to you but now I am goin to put down every one I write and the day of the month.
We have had 4 or 5 hard frosts heare. Last night was very cold heare but was cloudy. Last Monday and teusday we had a genral inspection. The bucktails had the prais of bein the best drilled regment out of the Pa. reserve V.C. Yesterday our regment had a genral muster.
We expect 2 month pay now. I have sined my name to the Capt roal to have $6.00 dollars per month sent to you. I direcked it to mother. For I did not know but if I sent it to you father that some one you oad would try to get it. This mony will be sent to judge R. Brown at Warren. You myst go there to get it. Or send a order for it. There will be 12 dollars now sent. And maby it will be 2 month be fore it will come again but look out for it. It will be 12 dollars every 2 mormth. Save every cent of this mony to pay for a hoine for you and nothing elce. For my sake. When you pay this mony out be shure it wont be lost. Pay it out in mothers or my name. So you can keep it. I have 7 dollars left to me heare per month. That is a nuf for me to use a month.
While I am heare we have had one Skirmish heare. The 20 of Oct. some of this rement had fire one shot a piece at them and killed 4 or 5 of the Secess horse men about 3/4 of a mile. This is all I can think of now at presant. Only we have got a new suit of close. There are a first rate suit. They are a dark blue collar. The coat is a frock coat worth about 8 dollars.
This song, let one of the boys lern it and speak it to school. We will have songs better than this after a while but this is the truth. When you write let me know if you got them papers, 3 of them. And I sent Amy a song. Tell me if she got that. It Cost me 15 cents for 5 and they ask 5 cents for 1 and this Song cost 3 cents.
I want you to send me a bucktail. Put a paper a round it and sent it by mail. Or if you can find Juit at Warren you can send it by him if he comes back again. I would like to have one from home for the naim of it.
Write how much snow there has binn there and if you has killed eny dear since I came from home. The 19th, the Pa. solgers marched about 18 miles out in to wards manasas gap. Then we laid down for to stay over night but about 9 oclock we was ordered back 2 miles to the Cross roads to where the most of the regments was. Then stade there over night and Sonday till Monday. Then marched back to our camps Monday. We have had a peaceiful time since then heare but we expect to move from heare soon.
We have a nuf to eat heare sutch as it is. But I have to buy some sweet potatoes and py and sweet cakes, butter Chease and apples to suit my taste. Butter is from 25 to 30 Cents a pound. Chease from 15 to 20 Cents per pound. Sweet potatoes 5 Cents per pound. Are [following line crossed out: Juit is come I spoke of at Warren.] I am well at present and harty. I can lay the sweet potatoes and butter down to a pritty good advantage. But Fletcher Hamlin can beat me eating. But we have plenty now. Apples at the sise of them sweet ones would sell heare too for 5 cents. I give yesterday 5 cents for one apple about the sise of a cup or your best.
Write to me soon as you can. I reming your affectionare Friend
Cordello Collins