Camp at Head Quarters of

50^th N.Y. Eng'rs Near Poplar Grove

Church Va Nov 26^th 1864

 

            Dear Parents

                                    I will try to scribble a few lines to you this afternoon to let you know how we are getting along off down here in Dixie. Daniel is well and is patching his breeches and I am well at heart but have a sore hand yet so I have not done duty in two weeks or over That sore has nearly healed up but it is very tender yet and bothers a great deal besides I have two boils on the same hand so you see I am a cripple in full / and I think I am afflicted worse than Job ever was for there was'nt any war then when he had boils. I received those bandages all right and have one of them on my hand now but I can get a plenty of them of the Dr so you need not send me any more of them

 

Lieut Carroll has resigned and gone into the Adjutant General's office of West Virginia and Major Brainard is Col of the 15^th N.Y. Engineers which is now as large as the 50^th is but aint of as much consequence by a long chalk. We have three men home on furlough now besides the sick ones sent from hospital One is Serg't Ingalls he has a leave of absence for 20 days / He has a model of a shell which he invented and is a going to try and get it patented. The other two Jno E Baldridge & David Kimble have 15 day furloughs each. James Besemer has not come back from the hospital and the sick were all taken to City Point last thursday morning he with the rest and I suppose they all had a great dinner on turkey down there that day but our Thanksgiving dinner did not come till friday afternoon and then there was only thirteen chickens for the whole Co but that was better than I expected we would get Oh yes I came near forgetting a part of it for we received two small apples a piece besides the chickens / Lieut Taylor received a lot of pie & cake a turkey and a large piece of mutton so you can see where the provision goes to that is sent to the brave boys in blue as the papers are pleased to term us The officers and their niggers get more of what is sent to the Army gratuitously than the poor soldiers for whom it is intended and I think it a perfect shame and an outrage and they should be exposed to the whole world and if I was home I would never contribute one single farthing in aid of the Sanitary commission or any such enterprises as a Thanksgiving dinner for the boys in blue for shoulder straps takes in nearly every thing that is eatable. Most of our officers have provision enough out of that Thanksgiving dinner to last nearly all winter. Big thing

 

I will have to close for my sheet is full already

 

I will answer Julia's next time certain

 

            Yours affectionately   C. W. Personeus

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