No 25.            

Camp at Cowan Station Tenn.

Aug. 1^st 1863.

 

Dear Friends.

                        A few minutes more & it will be drill time but what to do before that time came I did not know so I thought it would be better than to commence a letter to you. There is nothing to write about only camp rumors. we are doing nothing in particular waiting for orders to move. the day I mailed my last I received one from you was very glad to get it. day before yesterday I went over to the 21 & found Mr Johnson there. I got my hat & other things the letter was welcomed as I had not received any for some time. the poetry was good. I let Cousin James read it & he said it was first rate. the hat I like very well. it is prety large loose but I think I can fix it so it will be small enough. the towel is just the kind for a soldier. I am well satisfied all around. one thing. the hat was a good while getting here—

 

            It seems as if they were going to put us on the Rail Road again. the 2^d brigade is being put on this road now. the 79 Pa went day before yesterday & went down town to this station. the 24 Ill. had marching orders. Maj Gen Rousseau has left us & gone back to Kentucky. Brig Gen King has command of the division now. he had command of the regular brigade. Col Starck- / -weather of the 1^st Wisconsin has been promoted to a 'Brig. Gen.' we all wish that he could have commanded the division instead of this Regular

 

            Yesterday I went out after some more black berries with a squad of men from our company two of us went from our tent, one got berries, while the other got apples. so I went after apples. we went up to a house not far off & they let us have some ripe tomatoes, the first I have seen since we were up to Louisville last year. as there was no apples there we went back & helped fill the dishes with berries. we all got what we wanted in a very short time & I eat so many that when I saw a nice bunch I would pick them & throw them away. I never saw such large ones. I had to make two mouthfulls out of one of them, a thing a soldier is hardly ever guilty of. from there we went to an old sesesh place to get some pork but could not find any. I dont want you to think that we take this without paying for it. the boys used to do it but they put a stop to it in a short time. we got into camp about four oclock. we have daily inspection now at retreat. it is only by the order of the Capt. A book was given to him to make out a report three times a month & he has to report who has the best looking gun & accoutrements, the cleanest clothes & best policed tent & then he has to report who has the dirtiest gun and accoutrements, the dirtiest clothes & poorest tent. there has been quite a strife in the com- / -pany & I can warrant to you if any of the boys are not looking so well as others it is not their fault.

 

            I hope you have received the money I sent some time ago via A. E. Bates. I made out a list of names of those who sent their money, the amount sent and to the persons the money was to be delivered or expressed to. the whole amount that was sent was $847 which I took up to the Capt. & got him to get a draft on the U.S. Depository at Louisville payable to A. E. Bates on order &  duplicate of that draft was given by the paymaster to our Captain to keep for us. this draft I sent by mail with a copy of that list that I had drawn up for the Company directing where the money should go to. this I sent on the morning of the 18 of July. we have not heard any thing from it but expect to every day. I sent $45 which makes all to gether that I have sent $220. I think that is the number. I dont wonder that you thought my letters were written as though I had the "blues" for there nothing going on in camp at all. we had drill every day & all that I could write about was company drill & battallion drill in the forenoon & either brigade or division drill in the afternoon. once in a while I could tell you that I had been on picket or brigade guard. this we had week in & week out, so so I got tired of writeing about drills or any thing else that was going on in camp for the very reason I had told you the same thing over three or four times. there is nothing so very exciting about / soldiering except while we are on a march. when we are in camp it is all one thing what we do one day we do the next & so on for weeks or as long as we remain in camp. now here there is nothing but our division we are camped a mile or two from the station in the woods to get in the shade we cant see what is going on over that way. we dont care about what is going on over in the other two brigades, for we know they are not doing anything more than what we are doing

 

            Twice have I stoped since I commenced to do this write this to do something else. the first was a man called for to report to the Quarter Masters. well the man whos turn it was to go was not here, so I went in his place. the next time I had to stop & help eat some pea soup. I believe you said that you would cook some peas the way I told you when we first got them. you never told me how you cooked them or if you liked them or not. I think they are the best baked the same way you would beans. we got peas enough for a soup yesterday so we had them cooked up. we are going to have our regular semi monthly inspection so I must hurry & close & get my gun out clean it up & get ready for inspection we had a slight shower at noon it is clouding up very fast. I think we will have one of our regular southern thunder storms this afternoon. it is thundering now. give my best respects to all who may inquire for me write soon & except this with much love for all. from           Frank.

SOURCES