On Picket along the Potomac

near Poolsville Md Oct 18^th 1862

           

Dear Uncle Jeff.

                                    I have not had a letter from Laporte since I left Arlington Hights. I understand that there is a bushel and a half of letters for the 141^st Regt either at camp or on the way to camp so it is very likely I may get a letter when we go back to camp I am looking for a company from our Regt. to come out and releive us by noon to day and it is now after eleven oclock We should have been releived yestarday but oweing to the Quartermaster's being behind with the rations we were not releived. Our Regt. is encamped about a mile from where we are picketing. Two Companies of our Regt. are sent out, or rather kept out on picket all the time. the othe companies are held as a reserve on the east of the canal. We are between the canal and the river We cant run unless we wade the Potomac or the canal so I guess we will have to fight if we are attacted. but I dont beleive we will be attacted. On Monday last we were on picket along the road about 3 miles from Poolsville. On Tuesday morning we were ordered to pack up and be ready to march when the Brigade came up the Brigade came along about 4 oclock and we fell in and marched about 4 miles to the canal near the river and laid down in the road. we laid there until about noon when we got started again and marched down the canal to a culvert and crawled under the canal through the culvert where the water was about knee deep the whole brigade of us. we all had to take off our shoes and stockings. There is six Regiments in our brigade. the 20^th Indianna the 63, 68, 105, 114 and the 141 Regt of P.V. The whol six Regts had to creep through that rat hole, where 20 men could have made a bridge acrost the canal in half the time we were waiting to creep through that devlish hole. but that would'nt be "Strategy" to make bridges when there was a rat hole to creep through. Well after we got acrost the canal we marched 7 or 8 miles up the tow path to the mouth of the Monocacy and stopped and rested a little while when the word came to "About face" and we marched back again. "Bonypartee with his 40,000 men marched up a hill and then marched back again." Well Bony-part-ee aint a circumstance to "Old Robinson". We marched back about 8 miles and were stationed as pickets along the Potomac. We found afterwards that the mouth of the Monocacy was about 8 miles from where we started in the morning.

 

You have no idea of how good it makes a fellow feel to march all day and carry a good load and after marching ten or 12 miles to find out that he is almost 3 miles from where he started in the morning. It is apt to make him appreciate the Genls "Strategy" that conducts the marching Well we have enough of Strategy now. We will drop the subject if you please. On Wednesday night we were all moved acrost the canal upon the hill and camped where we could'nt be shelled all but two Companies who were left as pickets. On Thursday about noon we were (IE) Co. H. & Co. G. were sent out to releive Co. F. and Co. I. I guess but I am not sure what Co. Co. G. did releive. I know we releived F. Well we have been here ever since and it is now about 2 ^oclock on Saturday P.M. Thursday night it rained most of the night but it was very warm and pleasant yestarday. last night it was clear and cold but it is very warm and nice to day For my part I dont care whether they releive us to day or not If they only send us enough to eat is all I ask. And the boys have gone after rations now /

 

Well I just got a letter from you and one from Aunt Caroline and one from Aunt Angaline The one I got from you was the one that you sent in Bennys letter dated the 13^th inst. and as I but one stamp I guess I will have to answer them all in this one. I was very glad to hear from you. Lieut. Dieffenbach is dead he died on Saturday night at 10 oclock Oct. 11^th 1862 and I dare say you heard of it before I did. I do not know whether he was sent home or not but I understood that they were trying to get him sent home. If they did he must have got there before this time. I dont think it would be of any use for you to go to Harrisburg to get Benny appointed. If we can get the Colonel to appoint him by Brevet there will be no difficulty about it. If we cant the Gov. would not be apt to appoint him. I will hand your letters to the Col. as soon as possible. I think if we can get it done at all those letters will do it. If we cant we will have to do the next best thing, vis, try for Orderly Sergt. I think we will fetch one or the other, if we have any kind of luck. I did not hear of Johns death until Wednesday night and I have had no chance to send any letters since then and I dont know when I shall have an opportunity to send this, probably not before Monday. I am in hopes that some of the boys will come on from our old camp on Arlington Hights before I send this but I am not sure. /

 

I have not got any news to write or anything of any importance to write about.

 

            I wish you would send me four or five large fishhooks as we want to catch some eels and we can't get any here that are large enough. Send very large hooks and a good stout line, and then the next time I write to you I will tell you a fishing story. If we could only get the tools we could catch some nice fish I tell you. I was down the other morning to the lower post of our pickets and had some fresh milk and some goose. I tell you it was first rate if it was "Sesesh" milk & geese and was confiscated The Capt. dont approve of confiscation I guess but I do but we have to keep it sly. I just had an invitation to go out tomorrow to breackfast to eat chickens and whatever else the boys can draw so I will be missing tomorrow morning about breackfast time. Lieut. Dieffenbachs funeral sermon is to be preached tomorrow. Orders have come that we go into camp tomorrow morning without being releived as they dont want but 2 companies and there is now 3 Co^s out, which is news to me as I supposed that there was but 2 Co^s out now

 

Doc Simmons did send a pair of new shoes home and kept his old ones. John Gower sent home a black broad cloth coat a satin vest and a light pair of pants they were all rolled up togather and a ticket pinned on them with his name on them. The pants were on the out side. the things were packed in the bottom of the box. What was the expense of getting the box from Harrisburg? let me know.

                                                                                   

Very truly yours

H. R. Dunham

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