[letterhead:

50^th Reg't New York Vol. Engineers.

Co. "G."

Captain W. V. Personius.]

 

Engineer Depot D.C.

March 25^th 1864

 

Dear Parents

                        Excuse my negligence in not writing to you this week as I have been quite busy and have wrote my usual numbers of letters but they have gone to Straits Corners. for the past week I have not been quite as well as usual my throat has bothered me considerable similar to my previous attacks of bronchitis Charley received a letter from you to day I see by that that you have sold the new farm Pa is getting to be quite a speculator in real estate well he has done very well and probably better than if he had kept it I think still as I did when at home that it was a farm of to much value for my means I am happy to learn that you have / let out the old place and are going to take things easier Have you let all the plow land and how and what else please let me know to satisfy my curiosity

 

Tuesday night we had the deepest snow here that has fell in Washington since I have been here during the evening and night it fell I should think about six inches it is all off now with the exception of some on the hills

 

            This week I have been to see Edwin Forrest the greatest of American tragedians you must of seen his name often in connection with the great Forrest divorce case which has been pending for years and carried from court to court and finally decided against him by his settling a large annuity on Mrs Forrest he plays an engagement here of four nights for which I understand he alone receives one thousand dollars of all orators ministers speakers and actors that I have ever heard I think he / has the finest voice and manner of delivery, the tone of his voice is of itself grand and a mere whisper of his can be heard distinctly all over a room holding two thousand persons

 

We are still laying here quietly though how long we shall remain is something to be developed by future events I see by an order of G^l Meade that the army corps of the army of the Potomac have been consolidated the 1^st and 3^rd are united with the 2^nd 5^th and 6^th corps making only three corps of the army of the Potomac Genls Sykes French and Newton have been relieved together with four Brig Generals Gen Grant went yesterday to the army of the Potomac there is no fuss made over his arrival in Washington as there was before this time one would not know it unless he took up a New York or Philadelphia paper Three companies of our Regiment are in barracks four are still in tents / only six barracks have been built for the entire accommodation of the Brigade and these are occupied by three companies of the 15^th N.Y.V. Eng I would rather have my tent as I have it fixed than any barrack ever built for troops My Lieut is making some wheat cakes for supper he makes fine ones which with molasses is good eating for a soldier I shall have to close as he says supper is ready any time I want it and I want it now

 

This from your affectionate Son

 

W. V. Personius

Captain

 

Evening

and almost bed time that is it is nine oclock the rain is pattering away like sixty on the roof of my dwelling house but a good fire and easy chair makes it comfortable it is a bad night for those who have no cloth house to shelter them from the rain and for those who do the guard and picket duty of the army. this life of a soldier has many hardships with its few pleasures I often think how little those know of a soldier who have never served with the army it is to them all conjecture and imagination The discipline and strictness of the army is despotic so much so that it is hard to learn volunteers who have been educated in this free country to become good / soldiers they have to liberal ideas of liberty and free expression of speech it requires a long length of time to instruct them and remodel their ideas of rights of individuals. To our form of government and society can be laid the cause of our armies lack of discipline and disorganization This country never has been a military nation neither is it now though we are engaged in a larger war than there has been for centuries our country now sees what it has neglected ever since it achieved its independence that is its military arm we have always supposed that difficulties could be settled by the ballot box and never dreamt that the minority might revolt at the success at the ballot box of the majority consequently when the minority did revolt at their defeat at the ballot box the country was / not prepared to suppress such revolt and they perfecting and increasing their army while we was getting ready so that the rebellion has grown to the present dimensions

 

I received a letter from Ella yesterday she and Ellen are well as usual

 

Mother I thank you for the compliment you paid my little Ellen in one of your previous letters you certainly make me feel proud of her and dissuade me of the idea that I am conceited in thinking as highly of her as I do my greatest wish is that she may live and be a pride to her parents and that I may do all for her that I wish to do

 

Daniel is doing well he conducts himself good so far as I know he tents with Charley and I have asked him about Daniel and he tells me that / Daniel does nothing bad I told the Orderly Taylor on the start to give Daniel to understand that he would have to do his duty and that he must be very strict with him he has been strict with him and I see Daniel is most always the first to be in the ranks for roll calls or drill and does not say a word he thinks I feel hard towards him and would rather punish him than not I shall leave him with this impression for the present

 

George who lived with you is in the hospital with the fever but is getting well he is assigned to Co K

 

I think it must be bed time and having wrote about three cents worth I will quit

                                                                       

Your absent son

W. V. Personius

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