Washington Arsenal D.C.

 

Dear Addy,

                        Your very welcome favor in lead pencil was duly recd this afternoon, and I comply with your request to write more frequently, not for "heaven's sake" but for your own. I have a little time this evening to devote to such a purpose, being Officer of the day. I cannot get to bed until after midnight. Perhaps you would like to know how we spend our evenings here in camp. As this evening is a pretty fair specimen, I will tell you what we are all doing—Lieut Saylor is reading his Tactics, Lieut Logo and our 1^st Sergeant are playing a game of chess; as to your humble servant, this epistle speaks for him, though he is generally reading. The men are scattered about in groups, singing, reading or skylarking. None thank heaven, are drunk. As they themselves say, "that is played out". I have been pretty much alone today as the Lieuts went to the city to have their photy's taken. If all continues well I shall go in tomorrow. We will surprise you when you have us all. We cannot all leave together, so they will be separate pictures. But I do not suppose they will be the less welcome for that. You speak of its being cold with you. It is not that here, but at night the wind becomes damp, and our blankets and all that is susceptible to damp in the tent are quite wet before morning. The sun, in the middle of the day is so far, as hot as in July with us, and the residents about here, say it keeps so nearly all winter. I hope this is a little exaggerated, as it would be decidedly unpleasant. But I presume, nay hope, we will endure it for we wish to stay here. This feeling is general with all of us officers, and also the men, and it would be mournful news for us to hear that we were to rejoin the Regiment. The Colonel is still digging at the War Department about it, and one would suppose we were great favorites with him, to know his anxiety about us. Now, the War Department is generally very touchy about such matters, and the answers to some such demands have been, I am told, rather short. As Col. Ramsay has said, "The War Department has put you here because they want you, when your services are no longer needed, they will send you to your Regiment again". Such I hope will be all that Col Ellmaker will receive for his trouble. I do not complain in any way of him, because the last few times I have met him, he has been very pleasant, but I know that if ordered back under him, we shall be called stiff and "cliquish" (did I coin that word), for we will not participate in all the amusements of "Camp Addicks". Well we must wait but a few days and we shall know our fate. I am not afraid of hard service Addy, but some things are done / there I cannot approve of. Now do not say I am uncharitable, but someday I will tell you what I mean. You know it is not always safe to write your thoughts and convictions. Lieut Landell has rejoined the Regiment. He was here day before yesterday. Poor fellow, I sympathise deeply with him. One of my men received word this evening of the death of his father. He plead hard for a furlough for 48 hours, but I was compelled to refuse it. I pitied him from the bottom of my heart for he is a good fellow, and I would gladly have given him leave of absence had it laid in my power. It is one of the mournful phases of camp life that duty obliges us to sink many of our finer feelings. I do not much wonder that Officers become sometimes such tyrants. Nothing must conflict with duty. It is paramount, the one thing only that is to be kept constantly in view. Do not be frightened and suppose I am coming home to eat you up, if anything displeases me, for you know we military men make the best of husbands. I am sorry to hear the children are suffering from colds. I hope that with your good and constant nursing (for this I have seen) they will soon recover. Dear little ones, how delighted I would be to have an hour or two with them. But it might make me dissatisfied to return, were I to pay such a visit. I regret to hear that Roly is already feeling his oats. That he is growing saucy—keep this down my dear. I had a man put on police duty (sweeping the camp) for 8 days for this very fault. And I would not like to have to serve our little fellow that way. As for little Amy, she must be careful and not show her temper so early in the day, or she will be brought down a peg or two. As for your little girl with her hey!, you must teach her better manners such language cannot be allowed. Remember you are a Captain's wife and must be treated with due deference. You want to know what is in Benny's box. There were 6 bottles of eating mustard, 3 jars of pickles, 3 bottles of Jamaican ginger, 1 jar of preserved ginger, some plum jam, a pair of boots, a pair of leggings, a book of poetry, 2 pounds of tobacco, and some cigars, all useful and necessary articles & some of the things we ordered for our mess and bear the expenses mutually. You speak of a box in your letter, for me, and Sergeant Marsh has spoken in a letter to Logo of a box you intended sending me. Now my dear, although they are very nice to have sent to others, and one would be very welcome to me, yet do not trouble yourself about one. My Lieuts. know you are boarding, and are not in a situation to send box so. As for cakes and pies, they will be rather a nuisance until cold weather comes. Now I would not object to a mince pie or two, because they will keep. But the contents are very liable to become heated or spoiled before reaching us. If you do send one let me know in time—or rather if you do, send it to me in care of Sterling Bell Esq. No 336 E Street Washington D.C. an old friend I found here. Do not send by Marsh, as he wishes to bring a dog with him. I must send after a while for some flannel shirts and red flannel drawers. Don't laugh at the latter, for I think they will prove useful. I did not speak in my last of what you desired me, viz: going to Miss Marlas wedding. Of these things you know my opinion, and I am sure, absence from you does not alter it. I should consider myself hard beset for a reason to find fault if I objected to your going anywhere with your Uncles. With any other feller I might pause and consider whether it would be all O.K. Of these matters, as in bringing up the children be you the judge. You know my dear, I never was jealous of you, and I do not think I am growing foolish about you now. 

 

And now I find myself brought to a full stop. I commenced this as you may have imagined, intending to write you a long letter. Now I find my self brought to a full stop, for want of something to write about. Logo has gone to bed, Sailor is reading still, taps (9½ oclock) have sounded, and but one solitary candle, the one in our tent, can be seen in camp. The Sergeant of the Guard has the countersign, and I am free until 12 oclock. A new order from the Colonel brings this duty on my shoulders every third day, and it gives me fine opportunity for thinking and studying. You know I always did dislike to go to sleep, and then be awakened up in the middle, so I generally keep awake. At 12 I make grand rounds visiting every post (perhaps you will understand sentry better), both inside and outside the Arsenal, about three fourths of an hour walk. This is done to ascertain if all are awake and on duty. This over, to bed, to be awakened again at 5½ oclock in the morning. Then comes Roll Call at 6, breakfast at 6½, drill at 7, guard mounting at 9, reporting to the Colonel immediately after, then camp duties until 12, then dinner, then drill & then duties until 6 in the evening, then Roll Call again, then study, at 9 roll call, at 9½ taps, at which all lights but our own are put out, and then bed. Such is the daily programme. Dont you think it is interesting? I suppose you and Uncle Henry have had my Sunday letters by this time. Tell him, the Colonel has not heard a word about poor piggy yet, and I defy the owner to prove property by this time. But somebody had fresh pork for dinner on Monday, for I smelt it. There are some 8 or 10 of the same litter yet, and I would not wonder if some of them would fall off the river bank and kill themselves. Also, whenever I hear a pig squeal I run into my tent and shut up the fly as I do not like to hear the noise. Night before last, a cow got into our cook tent, upset the beans eat most of the rice, tramped on a lot of bread, and then deliberately defiled the coffee. Can human nature stand such insults? I am afraid she will fall over a musket the next time she does it. Give my love to all. Kiss the little ones over and over for me and believe me to remain as ever

Oct 14/62                                           

 

Yours most affectionately

Andy

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