John tells his brother that they've been here for a month or five weeks. He has been suffering slightly from the fever [often referred to as 'ague']. He's only on duty every weekend since he's been made corporal. He says that this is the first time he's written using his gold pen.
He asks his brother to eavesdrop on what the girls and boys are saying in Salem. He's heard that they've been talking about them and saying that they should enlist again. He asks his brother to send his best account so that they can find out who the cheeky traitors are. He asks his brother to try and get a copy of a picture that's in the Half Way.