“Way down in the cotton picking"

Camp Salomon Helena, Ark.

Dec. 8. 1862.

 

Dear Sister Julia,

I believe it is about a week since I wrote so I will write again though I have little to pen. I mean you shall hear from me about every week. I have not heard from home for some time but from reckoning I conclude it is about time to get an answer to the first letters I wrote from this place. I have a much easier time than at Camp Randall so long as we remain still. I generally draw what supplies we need & this constitutes the most of my labor. Once in ten days we draw ten days provisions & forage for the regt & it takes me about a day to do the former & a good share of the day for the latter. I think I never have sent home a list of ten days rations for our Regt. It is as follows: 

8 bbls of Salt Pork (1600 lbs) 3 bbls (3191 lbs) of Hominy

8 " (1516 lbs) of Shoulder Bacon 8 sacks (800 lbs) Coffee

8 " (1666 lbs) " Side " 15 lbs of Black Tea

3375 lbs of Fresh Beef 18 sacks (full 20 bush.) Potatoes

20 bbls of Flour 5 bbls (1350 lbs) Sugar

72 " (6167 lbs) [?] boxes of Hard Bread 2 " (80 gal) of Vinegar

6 " (1350 lbs) Beans 112 lbs of Candles

1½ " (450 lbs) Rice 5 boxes (357 lbs) Soap

1 " & 60 lbs of Salt I drew for 902 men. We are intitled to about 25 gal of Molasses which they could not give. The fresh beef I did not draw but took a due bill of it & the Commissary Lieut will draw it as he wants. The hominy was a little more than we are intitled to but 133 pounds was our due on the last draw. I took twenty men, two wagons, their drivers & started from camp about 8 a.m. We went across the river. After arranging the papers & figuring the amount I kept the tally & overseered the men & teams as they took the supplies from the storehouse to the boat & from the boat to our tent. By six p.m. all these things were before my tent. 

 

The next day I went over to draw ten days forage for thirty mules and fourteen horses. The allowance for these animals for that time is 6160 lbs of hay and 1380 lbs of oats or corn. They had not enough for the army and I got only 336 lbs of hay, nine sacks of oats & twelve sacks of corn. Since I wrote nothing has happened with us worthy of note. We did have the other day a little snow on the ground. The weather has been for the past week rather cold & rainy. I cannot write anything certain about what we are to do or when we shall move. Doubtless the officers are as much in doubt as myself. The river is too low for operations against Vicksburg. The affairs here are conducted on a very bad plan. The officers, that is the Generals, seem to go in for making the most they can out of it and having a good time. Yesterday five men came in from twenty five miles out in the country with cotton. They had passes from our Gen. Steele. They went over the river, sold their cotton & came back with several bbls of salt, a lot of steers & hard crackers, just the things the rebels are in need of and certainly more than they could use for their personal & family use. If that is not giving aid & comfort to the enemy what is it? I wrote to Martha at Hardwick, to you & Laura within the last fortnight I think. I send in this letter a piece of a hard cracker or hard bread as we sometimes call it. Also three red peppers which I found in a deserted planter's home when out with a foraging party about which I wrote lately.

 

I believe I have wrote all that I can find interesting. Write soon & often. Direct Q.S. 29th Regt Wis. Vols. Helena Ark. Love to all.

 

Your dear brother

John.

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