Camp Chase

Aug 22^nd/62

Arlington Heights Va

 

Dear Sister

            We left Camp Curtin on Tuesday evening the 20^th, and rode all night and arrived at Baltimore the next morning, got our breakfast and afterward started for Washington, which we reached about noon, got our dinner which consisted of bread, meat, & coffee, after that we shouldered our knapsacks and were marched through Washington across the long bridge which is over the Potomac and arrived at our present position "Arlington Heights" / This is a very nice place for a camp the land is hilly and mostly covered with bushes. Washington is pleasantly situated on elevated ground there is some fine buildings in it the streets are wide & paved with stone and through the middle of them are rail-road tracks on which cars are drawn by horses. The long bridge over the Potomac on which we crossed has not got its name for nothing for I think it is a mile long The Potomac is a pretty large stream I saw steam boats and schooners sail on its surface something / I never saw before This camp is about four miles from Washington The country around here is well fortified It is supposed that in less than a week there will be about 100,000 men added to the army of Virginia to join with Pope's, Burnside's, and M^cClellan's veterans, and then at last will be seen the reality of the command of "On to Richmond"

 

The number of our regiment is the 131^st it is called the "West Branch regiment" commanded by Col Allabach of Harrisburg Our company is the first in the regiment "Co A" Capt Moyer / the one under which we enlisted has been promoted to quartermaster  J. R. Orwig our 1^st Lieut is now Capt of the Co I think we will fare well in the provisions line as moyer has the good will of our Company & he knows it. I am well & so are the rest of my mess Our mess is composed of the Hartleton boys & the boys of Hartley township with the exception of Joel Rote

 

We have not yet received our U.S. bounty but we expect to get it in a week or so Please if we get it I'll send it to W^m Whitmer as he can tend to it better than you Nothing more at present Please write as soon as you get this

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