George S. Palmer to Elliot Palmer, 25 September 1862
Camp Chase Arlington Heights Va
Sep 25th 1862 
 
Dear Father
                you may think I am writing often but as I have just finished one to day I thought while I had my hand in I would write a few lines I have written over twenty letters since my camping in New Haven and sent a doz likeness to different persons in different places do you hear from Newark often do you get the paper that I send you I am writing this by candle light and you must excuse all mistakes the Comp is all quiet now the stories have not all proved true but originated on the fact of the retreat of Stonewall Jackson there has been ever so many spies brought in our camp and other camps around us we had quite a / time to day the cook drew the meat from the Quartermaster and brought it to his tent to cut it up when it skedadled for parts unknown and the last heard from it we see two men and a Corporal after it (it was full of maggots) we thought it about time to see about it so I drew up a paper and got 75 men to sign it in our Company and presented it to Col Ross he swore that we should have better food and if we had any more such food to come and show it to him so we may hope for a change I hope so we have been treated more like dogs than anything else the water we have to drink yellow water and tobaco is one dollar a lb cant you send on a box of things some whiskey tobaco and postage stamps they are six cents apiece the five ten and fifty cent shinplasters are all the go send some postage stamps as soon as you can for six cents apiece is too much / much to pay we belong to the Colo's company I dont know but you have heard of it before we had quite a tramp yesterday some ten or fifteen thousand men were out with us the 146th NY and 7th R.I. and the 20th Conn are under Brig genl Paul and Genl Casey commands the Division we marched ten miles and had a grand review Genl Casey is quite an old man genl Paul is quite young for a Brigadier we were verry tired but I never felt better than I do now and I weigh more than ever before all the boys have been sick or home sick but me I have not yet they say that we are going to Baltimore the Col has the offer of the Provost Marshalship and if he goes he takes the 20th with him but Col Keys says he wants to have us smell gunpowder Cap Parker is quite sick just we like him first rate Ed wants to hear from home he is well and so are all the boys Jerry Rob Allison Fred and Capt Hubbard / here every day Fred will write to day I believe     Write Soon
 
how are all the crops has father got the potatoes dug corn out and apples gatherd does Frank go to Cincinnati and have you heard from Loomis the roll is sounded all lights out your Son George
 
we will know before long whether we go to Baltimore or not
 
Write soon
 
where do you direct to Loomis
 
if I have time I will write in the morning
12490
DATABASE CONTENT
(12490)DL1787.065188Letters1862-09-25

Tags: Camp/Lodging, Crops (Other), Farming, Food, Marching, Photographs, Supplies, The Grand Review, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

People - Records: 2

  • (4429) [recipient] ~ Palmer, Elliot
  • (4430) [writer] ~ Palmer, George S.

Places - Records: 1

  • (879) [origination] ~ Arlington Heights, Arlington County, Virginia

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SOURCES

George S. Palmer to Elliot Palmer, 25 September 1862, DL1787.065, Nau Collection