Camp of Sixth Massachusetts Volunteers

Suffolk, Virginia. December 4, 1862.

 

My Dear friend Anderson,

                                    Yours of November 30^th is just at hand, and I hasten to reply. My correspondence is up soon, I having just about finished an epistle to Bowles, when yours was handed me, so I attend to your case immediately. I found your letter full of interest, and indeed I always do, as you ever write me of matters and things that others never notice. I am always glad to hear about how things are going on at the "hotel", and congratulate you upon being so nicely and comfortably situated this winter. I can imagine all your arrangements easily, and wish I was where I could finger the tap to your cider barrel occasionally. I must say that I was rather "knocked" by your postscript, but I am as slow to believe as you, that any forbidden intimacy has taken place between Josey and Mr. Bowles. Mr. Tucker and his wife are not very partial towards either party, and per consequences, as you well know, are too ready to believe any thing unfavorable towards them. I hope that the affair will not become common talk, as it will be highly injurious to the character of both, but who charges our friends with the error, anybody in the house? and now while we are about it, please write me whether anything is said about myself and Alice, as to our proceedings before I left and our correspondence since. She knows that I am a married man, and so do all others, so there is no deception there. I like her very much, but while I own that I often said things to her, that perhaps were better left unsaid, I have never written her one single word, but what I am perfectly willing should be seen by anybody. I've heard many things said about our intimacy; did just before I left Lowell, and do occasionally now in letters I receive from there; many people seem to be interested in my affairs. I always advocated the principle, that as long as I did nothing improper, it was no body's business how much I flirted, especially when my domestic embarrassments were understood by the party who chanced to receive my attentions, and I always acted up to it. I do not wish Alice to think that in case Mrs. Bickford dies that / I shall choose her for a wife, and of course I do not wish her to know that I ever thought she expected to be, as she would highly resent it. I liked Helen very much, I confess I was smitten there, but the practical part of a woman's education, Alice essentially lacks, and there are no signs of her ever attaining it, besides I am in no hurry to be entangled in Hymen's chain again, if I should happen to get out of the snarl I am now in. I admire the adamantine firmness with which you refuse to bow to the matrimonial altar, and while I encourage you to get all the "consolation" that you can outside, for God's and your own sake, don't "go under" for the present. I suppose that Alice has my last letter long before you will receive this, please say to her that I did not intend to slight her kindness in writing me, by not sooner answering her letter, and I'll not wait so long again. I have letters from Holbrook, Bowles, Josey and Alice besides yourself, last although you know, by no means least, and when this is sent, you will all be in my debt. I do not know whether any of them ever tell each other that they hear from me, but as I was on even terms with them all, I supposed they might, until Bowles wrote me to the contrary. To you, I always write confidentially, and of many things, not to be seen by others, knowing that you understand me. I am very grateful to you for the promptness with which you execute my wishes, and hope that I may be able to repay you. In regard to the cap, for the sake of my side of the argument I will say, that I stated the exact size I wished, 7 inches small, I think, and the remark of yours, that you supposed I wished the same size that I had before does not amount to any thing, because he never made me one before, as the one I had was bought of Palmer & Batchelder's in Boston. The cap I am now well satisfied with, as by wearing, it has come into shape, and the color is really beautiful, I think the finest blue I ever saw. The boots are first rate, and are admired by all, two pair have been ordered already from the same measure. The same ones here sell for $12. I believe I have about as much baggage as I can well take care of, and shall not need anything more, while I am out, except a pair of pants, and a pair of shoulder straps, which I shall / not get until late in the spring. I've not heard a word from John since the first of October, he wrote me twice, and sent me several papers, and I was very much occupied at the time, and from some other reasons did not answer them, and I presume he did not like it. I am some astonished that he did not visit you there when he was in Lowell. I saw the nice little notice about your admission to the bar, and could endorse every word of it. I'm not sure that I approve your dipping into politics, as it is damn nasty business at the best, and I've a much poorer opinion of it since I came out here, than ever before, but like the man in the "Struggles of Brown, Jones and Robinson", if you can "see your way", go ahead. Remember me to Rose won't you, I've not seen half as good a looking girl as she is since I left Lowell. I'm sorry that you and she do not get together any oftener.

 

I declare, when you stated the immense team that was yoked together to raise the Battery, I was completely stunned. I wish you was out here with me, and could see the officers of the different Batteries here, two of which are our nearest neighbors, and then imagine them fellows—Pearson & Rowse—filling the same stations. Ye Gods! how your eyes would stick out. Fancy Rowse lying out on top of an ammunition cart in a rainy night, with nothing over him but a woolen blanket, and getting up in the morning and breakfasting on maggotty hard crackers and raw salt pork, with coffee without milk in it, don't you think he would repent the day he " 'listed"? He will have to do that pretty often if he sees active service. You ask me about your own self going in. I advise you to do it, if you really wish to enter the military service, and think your health would admit. As an officer in that branch, I think you could do it. You could not stand it, as a cavalry or infantry man. The former has many charms, as you would see more of the country, the people &c, but they keep them on the jump all the time, either scouting or on picket and I fancy Dodge's Rifles are on duty on an average, eighteen out of twenty four hours. It is a big thing however to be a good cavalry officer, and your height and slimness are all in your favor / and you would be surprised to find how much neatness and good looks will do for a man, among officers to whom you are unknown. Col. Spear of the 11^th Pennsylvania Cavalry stationed here is a fine looking man, and men would follow him willingly after once seeing him. But the Light Artillery knocks them all. The Captain of a Battery is nearly as high in rank as a Colonel of Infantry, although his pay is much less. There is no picket, fatigue, or guard duty for them to do, except eight or ten men a day for their own camp. they report directly to the Major General commanding the Division. In his camp, and in fact generally, he has everything his own way, and if he is a smart efficient officer, he need ask no odds of any body. I would give all my old shoes if I could get a commission in a Battery, and indeed three of us officers, have almost decided to try our hands a bit, if we get out of this term of service alive. You are mounted all the time, which is much easier than stumping about the country on foot, as I can testify from personal experience, having only returned yesterday from a pleasant little walk of about thirty-eight miles in two days, sleeping out on the ground two nights, the first almost numb with the cold, and the second wet to my skin in the rain, and during the last twelve miles in to camp, in mud over shoes, and without halting the whole distance. I'll bet I wished I was somewhere else. An officer stands no better chance than a private on such an expedition, and indeed not as much. The men need and expect looking after, and are quick to see any failing in their officers, and one has to be ever vigilant. You are obliged to carry your own canteen, haversack, with two and from that to five days rations, and your sword pistol and cartridge box. Perhaps you ask, where is your servant. I've got a bully one, named Roderick, and he is as black as your hat, he carries a knapsack for me containing my overcoat, a rubber blanket, and his own rations and his own overcoat, besides having his own canteen, and two dippers / to carry, he has to trot after water whenever he is sent, as I can't leave my company, and so you see he has all he can stagger under. You read in the "Army Regulations" that troops on the march only go slowly, and rest ten minutes each hour. The "Regulations" are very good, whenever they are used, but as a general thing, are a very imperfect guide to go by. Every time I've been out, they have put us right along as fast as we could go, and I've marched four hours at a time without halting a moment, when the weather was good and I saw nothing to hinder a stop occasionally. Now perhaps I'm not much tougher than you, but yet I do not think you could endure such usage, and if you could, I do not think it pays even at the salary we get. I'm stuck, and intend to put it through, but I do not think I shall be a foot soldier from choice again. As to patriotic notions, you can put them all in your eye. Two weeks observance of the way things are managed would chill the warmest patriotism that any man has, so that it would never revive in this contest. A man at home is slow to believe it, but it is so. I think a few month's service will do any man good, if he can only come out of it alive, but if he is not tough or near it, he might as well bring his coffin with him. I'm speaking now of privates. Don't you be a private on no consideration whatever. There is a great deal of fine talk and writing about seeing ones country as a private, scorning all paltry considerations of pay, it will do to gall the flat with such nonsense, and if you are raising a company put it out freely, but don't swallow any of it yourself, I know you won't. There, I think I have said enough to discourage enlistment in your case, but if you can get a commission in a Battery, take it, a second Lieutenant is as good as a first there, and unless you are mighty hard driven, you will not do any service for four or five months, as a Battery not drilled, ain't worth any thing at all. I don't suppose that you wish to get killed any more than I do. I think that Rowse & Pearson would both resign in less than three months, so you would soon get promoted.

 

            Our last excursion out towards Blackwater, which I wrote a little / about some few lines back, was a little more exciting than usual. Our advance guard of Cavalry captured twenty rebels, and one piece of the famous Rocket battery captured from M^cClellan last June. The whole thing was done about a mile and a half from where we were halted. I saw the squadron of cavalry when they dashed off, and it was a sight I never shall forget. There were only about a hundred and fifty sent out, when they went by me, they were on the clean jump and yelling like so many devils, they did the whole job in forty five minutes, routed about four hundred rebel cavalry capturing those mentioned above. Nearly all the prisoners were wounded, and a more sickening sight I never saw, than was presented when they rode by on an ammunitions cart. They made them set up, as there were so many they could not cart them unless they did. One had an awful gash across his face, and through his nose, and another's ear was hanging by a small piece of flesh. They were all more or less injured by sabre cuts, which make awful gashes. They were of the 2^d Georgia Cavalry, except the men who manned the battery, who were Virginians. They were scantily clad, and their overcoats were made of white bed blankets, border all on. Nothing but corn, and some mouldy bread was found in their haversacks, and they said that they did not have enough to eat. This was the first sight of real Secesh that I've seen since I came out here. Please give my regards to all inquiring friends. I'm detailed for a fatigue party tomorrow, and I enclose the "cocked hat", so you may see the style in which the thing is done. Please post me in regard to all family matters, and you will very much oblige me. I am, hoping to hear from you very soon,

                                                                                               

Truly Your friend

Selwyn E. Bickford

 

P.S. Ten Regiments leave Suffolk tomorrow on the advance, I presume we shall go soon.

 

 

[enclosure]

 

Head Qurs Sixth Reg

Camp Suffolk Dec 4

            Detail for Fatigue

Party tomorrow

            Lieut Bickford

            By Command of

            Col. Follansbee

 

Thos O. Allen

                        Adjt

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