Camp Tilden
Mitchel’s Station, Va.
Tuesday, March 15th 1864
Dear Aunt [Mary P. Brown],
Your letter arrived safe to hand Sunday evening together with the papers. I don’t know as I have any news to write but still I thought you would like to have a few lines from me just to know that I am alive and well and getting along finely.
I got a letter from Frank Saturday. The folks were all well. His school finished the Saturday before. It was eleven weeks in length. He had some thoughts of teaching another as he had the offer of finishing one which had been half kept through by another teacher but had not quite decided whether to take it or not. He wrote that he had received a letter from Aunt Nellie and that she wanted me to write her a letter. I suppose I shall have to comply with her request although it is a job for me to write a letter to a stranger.
Well, Aunt Polly, it is talked now a great deal our way that we conscripts are going to be allowed to go home at the end of nine months. Do you hear anything about it your way? If it is the case, I think I will call and see you in about three months from now. But I do not put much dependence upon it myself although I do not believe we will be settled up some way or other before that time. What do you think about it?
We have some pretty wet weather lately. The spring rains are just beginning to come along and I suppose we shall have it wet and muddy enough for awhile but the longer the mud lasts, the longer we shall stop in our winter quarters unless the Rebs drive us out, which I do not think is at all probable. We can see a number of their encampments on the other side of the river from our camp and when we are out on picket we can hear their drums beat very plainly. It is nothing unusual for ten or fifteen of them to desert and come into our lines in one night.
My health is first rate at present. I don’t know as I have anything more to write this time. Give my love to all the folks and accept a share yourself.
From your nephew, — Albert C. Brown
Spared & Shared 21 