Sept 28^th 1862

In Camp near Alexandria

called "Camp Elsworth".

 

Well here we are all in a heap though our Boys are in a sepeperate camp yet there is no order nor system. This morning finds me quite sick. There are about 250 men for our reg in our charge and when we may leave here is yet to be developed. Here are all kinds and conditions of men and soldiers. To day Sunday the Camp (Elsworth of from 12 to 20 2000 men) are is being divided into four distinct divisions to be called as follows. Camp of Recruits—Camp of Straglers—Camp Convalescents—& Camp of Exchanged and Paroled Prisoners. It would be impossible for me to give you any thing of / a true discription or picture of my observations of men and things since I left Albany as I am quite to unwell and my conveniences for for writing—sitting flat on the ground no table or chair—is so much in violation with my ideas of order as to opperate as a complete check on my discriptive powers. Now to be perfectly confidential to you Hat, let me say that the man who comes to the Army for a price of $300 town bounty sells himself very cheap. But when men are actuated by a higher principle will find less to compain of. Here are men without shoes or shirts and their clothing greased—faded—torn—worn—hair and whiskers faded to a dirty brown. In fact we very seldom see as bad looking charctors in our streets at home. Our people talk of the condition of the "Rebs" as being horrifying / in personall appearance. we have only to look at our exchanged prisoners to get a true picture of them as far as personal appearance, but as regards their condition in other respects it would be a task for Dickins. I was down to Alexandria yesterday about 1¼ miles, and think it must have been quite a nice town before the War, but a very dirty place now We can buy every thing nearly as cheap as in Albany.

 

The nights are very cold and the mid day sun is very hot—good July weather. Very dry here. Roads and water paths in every direction. No fences in the country not even around the buried dead of years gone by. We left all of trunks and box of lints bandages & preserve in charge of Amos Hunt at Washington, who I found to be the right stamp of humanity /

 

Write to me as soon as you get this & direct as follows, C F Rich, care of Amos Hunt, Washington DC. Mr H will see that I get my letters. Will F wants I should say to Mat & Lissie he will write them soon as he gets a spare minute. There are a few things I want you to send to me but I cannot now remember. I want you to tell me just how you get along. Tell me if you have any money paid in to you. If the people want to send us any thing in way of eatables let it be dryed or smoked meats or preserves in as strong and condensed maner as possible. I have got to have a common suit of cloths and shall then send by my best cloths to Mr Hunts. This is no place for fancy clothing. Write very soon and tell or ask any to write that you think would like to do so

 

To My Dear Wife

Hattie E Rich              Your—Cyrus.

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