Washington June 9^th, 63

 

Sis

            It has just now struck four bells which is ten Oclock. I have seated my self here on a pile of logs under our quarters. What they are here for I do not know, but at any rate they form a conveinant place for writeing, and not only that but it is cool and pleasant. I imagin that if you where here you would say it is the very place for me, all though you could not say it is a very pleasant place to write. For about fifteen yrds in front, in another building there is about a dozen of men riveting steam boilers which I think if you ever seen done, you would say / makes more noise than ever I don or could do with a knife and fork. to help that along, I can hear the steady tramp of about fifty sailors and Marines right above my head, and about every two minutes, I all most shaken off of my seat (notwithstanding the wheight of the logs I am sitting on) by the booming of some of the ten or eleven inch guns on the experimental batery about one hundred yds in my rear. They are are experimenting here every day and every few days they would did try from twenty to fourty rounds in the fifteen incher incraseing the charge at times, untill they got it up to fifty lbs and the other day they cracked her, and now they are hunting another ten incher in her place, which only weights 36 thousand some few hundred lbs. You can not see where the fifteen incher is / cracked on the out side, and I never went in side to see, but some of the Marines and sailors where playing hide and go hoop in her the other night, and they say the crack makes a good hideing place you must not think I am exaggerateing at all. I think I have received all the stamps you have sent, as I have received two or three every letter, and two with the one I received yesterday. Harrys letter I did not receive. There has been nothing new going on since last I wrote. The weather has been clear and pleasant all the time except last Saturday evening we had a very heavy summer shower for a few minutes which has cooled the air ever since. For fear I may write you something you may think untrue, I will now close wishing to be remembered to all inquireing / friends, and much love to all.

                                                                                                           

Charley.

 

M.E. Leaman.

 

[upside down]

 

June 9/63

SOURCES