Camp near Suffolk, Va.

October 26, 1862.      

 

My dear friend Anderson,

                                    I have received your last letter of the 14^th inst, and was very glad indeed to hear from you, and to know of your continued health. I hope you will write me as often as you can find it convenient, as letters are the most acceptable gifts a soldier can receive. To me a letter from a friend was always a treat but here it seems to have an additional value. We are so entirely cut off from all communications with civilized people, that anything that shows that we are near a land, where the most common wants of a man can be supplied and where general news can be learned without waiting three days for them to come to you, is gladly hailed and therefore much more is the satisfaction when a friend writes of his own fortunes, and of those from whom we have been but a short time parted. And while I ask you to do me this favor, I must confess that I am not as able to be prompt in my answers as when I first came out, on account of having more duty to perform, and of the short days. The latter I should never think of saying / if I were at home, but here, all active operations are suspended at 8 PM, which is different from the hours I used to keep in Lowell. We are turned out at 5 o'clock in the morning though which is gay, but I will do the best I can for my end of the correspondence.

 

            I think that you have got things arranged very comfortably at the "Hotel", and I should suppose you are enjoying it very much. John I hear is in Lowell, and will visit you, he has sent me a great many papers, and I owe him a letter, which he will get this week if he goes back to Washington. The box of "goodies" came last Saturday night, and I assure you that I found them very pleasant tokens of your thoughtfulness. Mrs. Tucker sent me a very good note—everything is so good that I shall exhaust my vocabulary to find words to express myself without repetition—and said she should write me again, and I am delaying answering it, until the letter is received. I freely say that I was very agreeably surprised in having anything at all in the box, as eatables are the things that are usually sent, and I know that you, and all the rest of the boys were not situated so to conveniently send / anything of that kind, and I did not think that Mrs. Tucker cared enough about me to be at the trouble to do it, and Allie you know has not yet got a house of her own, but when the box came, I got more than any other man in the company. Mr. Sargent sent me a bundle of papers, and Cha^s Kimball a box of books, so I am well supplied with reading matter for the present, but I miss the Atlantic Monthly, and I wish you would send it me. There are a good many things that I shall be likely to want, and I had rather ask you for than than any one else to get them for me, as then I know I shall have them, and promptly. and I wish you to open an account with me and charge all expenses to my account I have not got but three cent, and have not had for a month, but I get along just as well as there is nothing here to buy

 

Sunday. Oct. 28. 1862.

I stopped writing at this point, and since I have made up my mind that you may send me a box of traps if you will have the kindness so to do, I had some things sent me from Burbank Chase Co's the other day, and I ordered some underclothes to be sent with them from home. The letter home did not get there until two days after the / box left Lowell, and so I am without them, and I need them very much. With this letter I will send one home directing them to send the articles I wish to you at the City Hotel, and also to send you fifteen dollars, which I will advance, to pay for the things that you may purchase for me. I do not wish you to be at any expense at all for me, as I consider the trouble which I shall put you to is more than I ought to ask. When you get all the things, please pack them securely in a strong box, but not a very heavy one, and send it to me by Adam's Express. I think that you will be able to start it by Saturday the 8^th. You will have to pay the express on it, for which you will receive a Forwarding Receipt, which you may send me so if it miscarries, I shall have security for it. Now for the things that are in it. First, I wish you to go to M^cKissocks shoe shop near Putnam's Grocery and get him to make me a pair of Artillery Boots. He has my measure and I told him that I should order something of that kind from him. In case he does not know what Artillery boots are give him this description. The legs come up within an inch of the knee at the front, and are rounded off, and are about five inches lower on the back side and are made of one piece of leather so that the seam comes in the middle of the leg, on the back side. Some have the upper & leg of / one piece, others have the leg sewed on about the instep, I am not particular about that, if the seam does not hurt me. I want the legs large so that they will slip over my pants without any trouble. The leg will need to be 13 inches behind and 17 inches in front from top to where the sole joins the uppers. They are to be pegged and thick soles. Heavy calf I think will be the best, and if he makes the leg separate have the leg of grained leather. No red tops, or any thing of that kind will be allowed. Tell him to remember my corn on the right foot at this side, on the little toe joint. If he thinks that he cannot make a pair to suit me, let it go, and send me a pair of India Rubber boots, No 7. If the boots are not easy I can't wear them, and my feet are so small that they would not fit any body else about here so I could not sell them here. No more on boots, except to get them as cheap as possible 6 or $7.00 I think ought to be enough. Enclosed you will find the bugle that came off my cap. I wish you to tell Mr Chase that I wish him to give Davis enough good indigo blue broad cloth enough to make me a M^cClellan Cap, same pattern as the field officers of the 6^th had, and size 7 small, let him put on M.V.M. buttons on the side, sew on this bugle, and get a new figure 6 for the centre, and have a glazed cover made for it. The whole performance will probably cost a dollar and a half. Tell Mr. Chase that I want cloth that cost about [?] a yd & his best buttons. My cap has faded awfully, and I can't wear it on dress parade or review. Please pack it so that it will not get jammed. You will please send / to No 190 Gorham St. Mrs. Fryes, and get a copy of Shakespeare that belongs to Gus Weeks, and which he is to loan me. The young lady that you will see there knows all about it, and will furnish it without any hesitation. I would like about 2 oz of sweet oil, 2 sheets emery cloth—fine—to clean my sword—not my gun, and a handful of woolen rags, such as Mr. Sargent will freely furnish, but which are as precious here as gold leaf. You may also send me 4 pounds of chocolate in the cake, and last but not least as you may well imagine, is the sauce pan and cover, and big iron spoon that we used last winter. You may put the "Atlantic" for Oct. & Nov. in also, instead of sending them by mail. I dont think of any thing else now but if I do will write you so that you can send it. Your letters here usually arrive in two days, but mine to you, I fancy are twice as long in going. The boots I am very particular about, and if I get suited they will be invaluable to me. I think I will have ¼ lb. or so of rosin. I have got a good job laid out for you, as you see. If you leave an order in Sargents Express box at French's Apothecary shop he will go to the house and get it (the box) and save the trouble of your "toting" it to the Office. I do not know but you knew all that before. Ah, Chum, there is one thing I almost forgot, that is 2 quart bottles of Scotch Ale, I guess that Cha^s Kimball the Liquor Agent will be the best one to get them of. The sum total so far is this. — /

 

Boots—Cap—Shakespeare—Sweet Oil—Em. cloth—Woolen Rags—Chocolate—Sauce-pan—Spoon—Atlantics—Rosin—Ale—& the bundle from Holliston.

 

            We had a stunning old march out into the country last Friday on a reconnaissance in force toward the Blackwater. We took three days rations, and marched 45 miles between 4 oclock Friday afternoon and 12 oclock M. on Sunday. There were 1500 Cavalry, one battery of Artillery and two Brigades of Infantry in all about 4500 men. The whole thing did not amount to anything, but tried our powers of endurance some. I stood it first rate, as well as any man in the Company. It rained very hard before we got back which made it uncomfortable. It also rained one night some, but on the whole I enjoyed the trip well, it is much better fun than loafing around the camp here, doing nothing but drilling. Our cannon blazed away at the Rebels for more than an hour, across the river, but we were not answered back. Your desire for a Secesh trophy I will endeavor to gratify to the full extent of your wishes, so far I've had no good opportunity to get anything at all because on a march the Officers are very careful not to halt near houses if they can avoid it, as they would inevitably be cleaned out by the soldiers, and on the march, if an officer leaves the ranks to "reach" for anything, his shoulder straps and sword betray him, and he is almost sure to get reported. / If we get into a fight, and I do not get killed, I will get stuff enough. I can get any amount of broken shells, and such old trash as that, but I want something better. You perceive do you not? Tell Josie that I think I should have received an acknowledgement of my letter to her before this, she was what I always considered a prompt young lady in all things, and I hope I may not have to think that there are any exceptions. I got Fred's letter last Friday. Did you get a receipt from Stevens when you paid him the $30? If you did not I wish you would. In regard to my being Quartermaster it leaves me still with my Company, I only sign documents and look after the Account, a little, For nine months. I would not be a Quartermaster if I could as well as not. It adds nothing to my rank, and only $10 to my pay, although I could draw $16 more if I had two horses. I suppose before this reaches you that you will have been admitted to the Bar, quite an epoch in your life to date from. Your success in your profession is certain. If you would send me the "Bulletin" occasionally I should like it. I see that my "ventures" in stocks are turning out as I expected, but I think the paper money business will wind up the Government & we shall all be on our backs. Please remember me to all my friends and write me very soon.

 

Truly Yours,

Selwyn E Bickford

 

P.S. I've rec^d my                                                         

Commission.                                                               

SOURCES