Private & Confidential.                                                                                  

Burn this letter.

 

July 25^th 1863

 

Friend F.

                        The eyes of this ancient & bald Marine were gladdened this morning by the sight of your hieroglyphics, and I was much gratified by your kind remembrance of the Grand Sachem.

 

            Much aggravation possessed my soul on being reminded of the pleasant times we had at Phil^a; and I half wished that you were down here to experience the lovely times we have. About the time I arrived here, we had drill every day until one hot time when the officer and some six men disappeared from the ranks. One poor fellow tumbled down in a heap and was carried off. I will endeavor to give you an idea of the doings here, as we had them:

From Quarters to drill ground—                                ¾ mile

ground travelled over in drill—                                  1    "

Back to Quarters—                                                    ¾   "

From Quarters to Parade ground—                            ¾   "

ground travelled over in Parade—                             ½   "

& Guard Mounting— /

² distance to see muskets shot off—                           ¼ mile

—Return to office—                                                   ¼ mile

¹ From office to cells—                                              ½   "

            Return—                                                         ½   "

Inspect Breakfast—                                                    ½   "

            Return to office—                                           ½   "

Office to Quarters of Com^dt—                                   ¾   "

            Return to office—                                           ¾   "

Inspection of Rooms &c—                                         ¼   "

            do        dinner                                                  ½   "

Return to office—                                                       ½   "

Office to Quarters for dinner—                                  ¾   "

            Return—                                                         ¾   "

Inspection of Quate Rooms &c at 6 P.M.                   ½   "

Office to Quarters for Tea                                          ¾   "

Return—                                                                     ¾   "

Inspection at Retreat & Tattoo—                               ¼   "

Inspection of Rooms &c at Taps—                            ½   "

Visiting Sentinels during day                                     2½ "

            do                    do night                                   2½ "

Inspection at Reveille &c—                                       ¼   "

From office to Quarters of Com^dt—                           ¾   "

                                    Total—                                   4)72/4

                                                                                    18 miles

 

The above estimate is made upon / the basis that the distance from Quarters to the office is ¾ of a mile; but I think it is nearer a mile, which would have made the distance the officer of the day had to travel over in one day to be about 20½ miles.

 

Now, strike off three miles for possible errors, and you have 17½ miles. You must be aware that it rains here occasionally, and that Old Jamaica comes down rather heavy on this bald cocoanut, and makes the perspiration fly. Do you now wonder that old daddy diarrhoea occasionally rips this Marine as he travels through the scorching sun with his coat buttoned up, and toting a sword & belt around, with "nairy" an umbrella! Just to think of the "Officer of the Day" carrying an umbrella?—Whew, it makes me perspire to think of it. Then the Officer of the Day inspects the basket of the bumb-boat woman twice a day, and overhauls her pies, cakes and other edibles; which intellectual / performance rather took the starch out of this live Captain of Marines, who has seen some 16½ years of service and has grown gray & bald, but then such an important duty, requiring so extensive an amount of intelligence, experience, and judgment, should not be entrusted to the Serg^t or Corp^l of the Guard.

 

We are allowed 45 minutes to dinner, including the time necessary to go and come from Quarters. One day I saw the Serg^t of the Guard examing the clock when I went to and returned from meals, and I asked him if he was noting the time of my going & coming? he replied "Yes", and that he was ordered to do so. W—h—e—w? But the order has been rescinded. Then there was another alleged order, to the effect that "—the orders of the Naval Commandant will not be obeyed by the Officer of the Day until they have been communicated to & approved by the Colonel Comdg the Post". Being an old soldier, / and accustomed to obeying the orders of my superior officers implicitly, without hesitation, strictly & promptly, I felt somewhat puzzled. In case the common superior of myself and the Col. Comdg. Post should step into my office, or send me a written or verbal order, and direct me to immediately send a detachment of Marines to quell a mutiny, or put out a fire on board of one of the vessels lying at the Navy Yard Wharf,—I could not obey the order of the Naval Com^dt without disobeying the order of my immediate superior, the Col. Comdg. If I stopped to send the order to the Col. Comdg,—a distance, there & back, of nearly 1¾ miles,—I would disobey the order of the Naval Commandant to immediately send a detachment, and in the mean time the vessels might burn up, or the mutiny raise old Satan. And I will here remark that subsequently there has a disturbance on board one of the vessels, some of / her crew having got drunk, and a Marine Guard was sent for, and went. Now, Friend F, I appeal to your wisdom and legal acumen, what was I to do? Well, just listen to the Grand Sachem. You know I am a quiet & peaceable man, but then this knot must be unravelled, for it was not fair to make the Officer of the Day remain in such a muddle. So off I paddled to the Naval Com^dt and laid the matter before him. He informed me, in substance, that when he gave an order to the Officer of the Day, he would hold him responsible for obedience to it. The alleged order was rescinded.

 

The Secesh girls down here seem to have the very old devil in them! I wish you would come and put matters straight! You know that you have an insinuating way about you. Ah, friend F, you have a great many sins against the fair sex to answer for. Be pleased to present my compliments to Major Doughty, Captain Hebb, Lt. Pile, and, all my friends.

 

Yours affy, covered with perspiration & mosquitoes, the bald one

SOURCES