27 February 1863

Camp Utley
Racine, Wisconsin
February 27th, 1863

My dear Maria,

I send you this box of clothing because it is worth a little more than transportation and may be useful on our return from the war — too poor to buy new ones. I think you will recognize mine, being the same i wore away. The soldier’s pants are John’s, he having bought a new pair. You will find enveloped in a newspaper a couple of pictures of a very homely Old Sergeant who you may remember to have seen and may recognize as somebody you have seen before, if you could tell who. I think the artist has made him worse looking than the original. I shall send some photographs of the same old fellow by tomorrow’s mail if they do not look too bad.

We are in the bustle and noise of preparation to go somewhere. We all guess where 00 some guess Dixie, some guess Madison. Camp rumor says both sides but are certainly under orders from Gen. Pope to be ready to go somewhere. Most of us are anxious to get off to Dixie tho’ some, no doubt, would prefer to remain in idleness at home. We are both wild — John has ordered six photographs and I have ordered 12 — card size. I should forward them tomorrow and you will probably have received them ‘ere you read this.

Very affectionately, — S. C. McClure