South Groton May 22 1861

8 oclock Wednesday Eve.

           

Friend John

            I received your very interesting letter by Esq Spaulding with great pleasure, and hope you will enjoy the perusal of this with as much pleasure as I received from yours!! The Esqr. gives rather a dismal account of the hardships endured by Co B and the other Companies which compose the 6^th Regiment he says one of the greatest complaints is that you dont get enough to eat. I should suppose that by this time the commissary of Uncle Sam ought to be in good order. I saw a schating letter in the Spy from Parker of Worcester who is in the 6^th Reg. reflecting severly on the quartermaster of the 6^th, Munroe of Cambridge. I cut it out of the Herald and you will find it enclosed. The Esq. also says Jones is very unpopular with the regiment and I heard that he said Jones thought of resigning though I did not hear him say so. I hope there will be some one at the head of the Reg. in whom the men have the utmost confidence. The praise of the 6^th Reg. is in evry ones mouth. the Reg. has won a / glorious name in the history of our country The first question now asked by those who are unable to get a daily paper of the lucky ones who do, is what is the news from the 6^th Regiment it being understood that they are on the moove all the time and furnish about all the news which we get.

 

Ben Butlers chances of being Governor of Mass are improving rapidly. you know he run last year and only got a small vote, but the general opinion here now is, that he has been doing things at annapolis Relay House & Baltimore up Brown. I call his proclimation to the Citizens of Baltimore and his speech in Washington excelent. they have the true ring in them both! I wrote you a letter a few days after the second one and gave it to Seth Romney who joined a Co in Lowell and expected to leave the day after I gave it to him but he did not leave till today. I also gave him some daily papers to hand you as he was expecting to join the 6^th Reg. rather think the news will be good for keeping so long (say like mine) now for matters in this rather quiet village Nourse Mason & Co are running on ¾ time Nourse & Caryl have been entirely stoped for about two weeks. the foundry of Cole Nickols & Wilson has also stoped. J Bailey & Co are / doing but very little so you see by this that things are rather quiet!! I wrote you in the letter that I sent by Seth that the new Company organised and choose their officers but for fear you may not get that letter I will give you the names of the officers. for Capt. L G King, for 1^st Lieut. Dr. H H Hinds, 2^nd Liet is an Englishman from Westford a good drill officer 3^rd Liet is Stuart J Park. among those who have recently joined are Geo. S Evans who was formerly in the position I now hold. his wife and three children are now in the place. Henry Stutting also has joined and yesterday Jerome S Parker put his name down. this Co papers read for five years unless sooner discharged. They received their uniforms last Saturday which consist of Spencer and pants gray, with white trimmings. cloth dont look as though it would stand a five years war! The ladies of Groton Center made the Spences & Pants and the Ladies of this place the shirts for this Co. the ladies of this village made up a lot of shirts for Co B which have been sent them and I presume you have received them ere this.

 

Sunday night the house formerly occupied by Mr Lufkin and owned by / H. P. Ross was burned entirely up. it was occupied by Warren Eastman, a part of their furniture was saved. the fire was discovered in the wood shed where thare was a stove set up. they say that they had no fire since morning and it was burned between 11 and 12 ock. P.M. I received a telegraph dispatch yesterday from Lieut. Shattuck dated Relay House the 21^st saying he should be here wednesday and to have men ready to return with him. I delivered the despatch to Walter Shattuck and found him with Groton Centre people engaged in putting out a fire which caught on the roof of his house nearly opposite the Baptist meeting House the roof and attic of the house was pretty well burned. them Tubs at Groton Center were thar awful machines them. Thursday morning

 

Lieut Shattuck passed through here this morning on his way to Groton Center. he was surrounded by an eager crowd each one anxious to hear from friends in Co. B. I understand he will return Saturday or Monday next. guess I will not keep this letter till then but send by mail. I am going to enclose a stamp as I see that it is not convenient to get them in some places where troops are stationed. write at your convenience.

                                                                                               

Your Friend

C. E. Morrison

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