Camp Near Aquia Landing May 26^th 1863

 

My Dear Friend

                                    I received yours of the 22^nd about an hour ago. It was welcome and interesting and the first I have received for this month. I was glad to learn that you are all well and doing well in Brooklyn.

 

            I am sorry I cannot give you any interesting news from this quarter. "Joe Hookers campaign" has been worn out in talk and print. I suppose you are tired of hearing of it. the subject is "flat, stale, and unprofitable" now when we are having such "glad tidings" from the "Gibraltar" of the "Father of Waters".

 

            I dont care who deserves the glory, whether it be Grant, Porter, or any other man, it is certainly a glorious job, and they can well afford to brag about it the croakers who prophesied that Vicksburg would never be taken are in a fix now, as well as the "secesh" who would have us believe that their "Heroic City" was Yankee proof.

 

            If we are entirely successful in capturing the place with its ordnance and garrison it will be a great victory the moral effect of which will be very great on both sides. a few more such, and gold will take the direct route for the lower regions, and it is to be hoped that "copperhead" stock will with the proprietors will take a corresponding direction. /

 

I believe that if Hunter and Dupont had displayed such energy at Charleston as Grant and Porter did in the West the result in the late attack would have been different, but if Rosecrans is successful in his next move and Joe Hooker in his next, I will be satisfied.

 

            Since the army returned there has been nothing doing except the discharging of 2 year and nine months men. I have been told that we have been reinforced but I cant see it, the army is much reduced in numbers and something should be done to strengthen it at once. We have too many skeleton Brigades, made up of skeleton Reg^ts, our own for instance—of 6 Reg^ts only musters about 12,000 men for duty. And I am told that there is only 8000 men in our Corps where there should be 20,000.

 

            We have been taking things easy of late. the weather has been hot enough for the "dog days" and we just lie around loose and try to keep cool by going down to the creek and soaking ourselves occasionally.

 

            Capt Dick of company E died day before yesterday. his wife was here at the time and took the body home yesterday. the Reg^t turned out to escort the remains to the landing. Dick was very spirited, but of weak constitution, and the last march with its many hardships was more than he could stand, it was with difficulty that he reached camp, and he came back to die 

 

I am still acting Serg^t Major. I have not received my warrant yet, and I don't want it. there is no news about my commission and I do not expect any. I learn that there will be no more appointments in our Reg^t as it has now an excess of officers for the number of men. this is owing to a new order from somebody or someplace which I have not seen, but notwithstanding this order a commission arrived a few days ago for a man of this Reg^t and I expect soon to see him regularly installed. this sort of thing has occurred so often that I am used to it but I am beginning to think that in justice to myself I should stand it no longer. this makes 15 men who have been promoted over me during the last year. If I do not merit promotion I am not fit to fill the position I hold and have held during the last 14 months. my position seems to be like that of a person to be jumped over by Tom Dick & Harry at will. the first good excuse I have for kicking up a row, I will kick it up in the most approved manner, then resign my warrant and go to the tail of my company and put an end to this matter.

 

            I have been interrupted here by the arrival of a box from Aggie, which was shipped Apr 22^nd but it could not have come in a better time. this warm weather destroys ones appetite for "junk" and "hard / tack" and creates one for "store grub" which is hard to satisfy in a place like Aquila Landing where they sell trash for its weight in greenbacks.

 

            We were paid off on the 26^th of April and on the 27^th I shipped $70 for Marshall to your care. the address was—as near as I can remember—M. M. H. care E. Preston with S. D. & Co 189 B. W. as you did not mention it in your letter I thought that some mistake had occurred, which delayed its delivery. the Express company exhibit great carelessness in forwarding and delivering articles at this end of the line and it may be the same way there. I took the liberty of troubling you with it as I had forgotten Marshalls N^o on Atlantic Columbia St. and thinking that he might have moved from Atlantic St.

 

            I received the Harpers & Heralds, please accept my thanks. As it is growing late, I will close. please remember me to all my friends and oblige

                                                                       

Yours Sincerely

James Clarke

 

Mr. E. Preston Esq

 

"that Greenback" is a hard looking customer but I will try him on. I remember of seeing those counterfeits in the west where there was a great number of them in circulation.

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