Camp Darlington, Head Quarters.

8^th Regt. SCV Oct 7^th 1861.

 

My Dear Sister:

                        I write to let you know how I am getting along. I have not been very well for the last few days. I took cold, lying out in the woods, and do not feel as well as I could wish, though there is nothing serious the matter with me. At the same time I have taken cold enough to make me feel very badly at times. I have a headache nearly all the time and sometimes my teeth & eyes hurt. I have a pretty severe cough which troubles me a good deal.

 

            The report about Lee's whipping, mortally wounding and taking Rosencrantz prisoner is contradicted. There was a report current in camp yesterday morning that the Federals had taken our batteries on Acquia Creek and had got possession of "Long Tom". You perhaps know that the Confederates have a big gun at Acquia Creek taken from the "Yanks" which they call "Long Tom". This morning the report is contradicted.

 

            On yesterday morning (Sunday) there was an election for Brevet 2^nd Lieutenant of Company 'I' (Capt. Stackhouse's Company) the candidates being Andrew T. Harllee & Corporal George Huggins. The vote was as follows Harllee 29 Huggins 24, so Harllee was elected. 

 

There is no news at all in camp. In fact we hear so many false reports that we do not know what to believe and when we hear anything we don't know that there is any truth in it.

 

            The weather is very warm here now, oppressively so. It looks very much like we will have rain soon. I expect it will rain and then turn cold.

 

            We get a plenty to eat here now, that is we get as much flour and beef as we want. But we get but little bacon and often have nothing to put in bread but soda, and we have never had that only as we get it ourselves. We get some very fine beef. They have quit giving us coffee. Some of the men make a substitute for coffee out of meal & rice. They gave us a few sweet potatoes yesterday. They tasted very well.

 

I cant tell anything about the chances for a fight now, everything is uncertain. A few days ago I was expecting a fight all the time, now it seems further off than ever. We have been hearing the heavy firing of artillery all day but I do not know what it means.

 

            I have nothing else to write so I will conclude. Write soon and write me a long letter. My respects to all. This is badly written.                  

 

Your affectionate brother,

John W. Smith

 

I took no pains in                                                                             

writing as I wrote

in a hurry.

J.W.S.

SOURCES