Monday, Dec 23, 1861 – From Camp Lyon
Civil War Soldier Howard G. Affleck wrote to his sister, Harriet:

I have been thinking all along that I would be permitted to spend the holidays with the “loved ones at home” but owing to the changes in my prospects I suppose I will have to forego that pleasure and make the best of it out here. All the boys in our tent are invited down to Columbus to a Christmas dinner at Nick Allender’s cousins. If it is possible to get out of camp, we will all accept the invitation, and I understand that the Capt designs taking the whole company down on that day. So you see that we will likely have a good dinner – as good perhaps as we would get at home; but then there will be that constant wandering of our thoughts to old Bridgeport, to keep us from enjoying ourselves as we would in the midst of the happy family circle there. But I have made up my mind to bear these things as a philosopher and soldier should. I wish you all “a merry Christmas and a happy New Year”, and hope you will not pain me by thinking, even for a moment, of refusing this small offering* which I send as a token of brotherly affections.  ….Write soon

A Christmas Gift
To Harriet
From her brother Howard

*A ten dollar gold piece