Portsmouth Va May 19^th 1863

 

            Brother Sam

                                    I rec^d your letter yesterday money all safe If you send me any more send green backs for the people here have had nothing else so long it is considerable trouble to pass our money. Last fall any of it would go with trouble but now they dont like to take money that comes from farther north than Baltimore I made out to pass the other bill and I guess I can this one. Last week I was quite sick when I wrote but have got well. Dr gave me a couple of blue pills which straightened me out.

 

I was on duty yesterday / We are having splendid weather now not very warm. We came very near leaving this place yesterday morning. Sunday the Capt. got marching orders to report at David's Mills to Maj. Murray. Co. B. went and we should have had to gone had not the Capt. went up to camp and seen the Col. The fact of it is there had been some trouble among the officers every since we have been here. When we first came Capt Hewitt of Co B. was appointed Provost Marshall but he was not competent having no education at and hardly being able to write his own name so he was removed & his first Lieut. Struble put in his place. This started Hewitts wrath and he said if he could not be boss of / the whole thing he would get us out of here or in other words we could not stay and have any other Provost Marshall than himself. Well he done pretty well he got the order for us to leave, but Capt thought it was not best for one man to beat the whole company and so he flew around and got the order retracted by Gen Viele. Hewitt is detested by all of his own Com. Last week a paper was handed to the Col signed by every man in his Com. but two praying for his removal I dont know how they will come out he has placed all of his non commissioned officers under arrest and has tried to get some of his men to take their names off but not / a man has yet. We are going to have five companies here now three are already here and are going to do picket duty from here. If we had gone out to the Major we should have had to gone to shoveling on forts. They are building a line of defenses back of this place about ten miles long Gen Getty's brigade is there to work.

 

I get the Times regularly either Sat or Sunday. rec^d two Independents last week

 

This P.M. am going out to see Helen Pitts have been over once. Sol Sullivan makes a tip top soldier always ready to do his duty and knows how to do it too. Fire last night dwelling house burned, was set a fire.           

 

Love to All

Your Brother Charles

 

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I shall look for my box about Sat.

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