Monday Nov 24th 2 o'clock P.M.  It is a beautifully clear day.  This morning the ground was frozen quite hard, the nights are chilly & cold.  I feel very well to day.  I have been washing my clothes to day & I could not but remember that monday is also your favorite wash day.  Marion, Billy & I borrowed a tub & washboard & went to the creek & washed & rinsed & brought our clothes up to camp & hung them on poles around our tents to dry,  These little items I will give you as they ocur to my mind that you may know what we are doing & know how we spend the time,  To day there are one hundred of our Regiment gone out on picket.  I am writing in Mr Burtons tent, & back in the rear The Contrabands are at work, & I assure you they are a hard set.  I have made up my mind after some experience with them that the less I have to do with them the better.  My description of what I have seen would be that they are sharp, lazy, treacherous, honest when it is policy, filthy [illegible] & all of them profane, we have had some as cooks & thought it a great thing but we were glad to get rid of them  I would treat them humanely but want them away off south  To day we are sending Wm Butler out in the country to stay a while. R Stockdale goes out with him as nurse he is quite low with lung fever or something of that nature he has been spiting blood, & I fear he will not be able to endure the hardships incident to a soldier's life, I have been trying to get them (he & Smith Robinson of Mitcheltown who is in about the same condition except that Robinson does not couph up any blood) a discharge from the service, but have not affected it yet.  I have no idea yet when or where we will go to, we may winter near this place.  I verry much dislike such monotiny but must submit to the powers that be I will write
 