Welch

Camp Curtin Oct 24/61

 

Dear Sister and brother,

I have seen the City, the city of Washington. we left harrisburg monday and got to Washington tuesday night. it rained tuesday most all day and all night. We are about two miles east from the city. We can see the capitol very plain. Our address is Company I 45 regiment P.V.

 

When we got to the city tuesday night. we were marched into a building, the whole regiment, about a 1000 men, and stacked our arms. / the building was about 60 feet wide, and 200 feet long, and we were marched out to breakfast about 300 at a time. well now I will go on again, I had to stop awhile, for the lieutenant sent for me. we are now on a little side hill, fourteen men in a tent. there is only our regiment in our encampment, but there is a good many camps in sight ours. there has been five regiments by here this morning. part of them have gone over the river into Virginia. We can see the river and over the other side. / we can hear cannon here all the time. it seems as if we might see a fight before long, but we may not. the city of baltimore is a pretty nice city. we had to get off the cars and walk through the city, and when we got to the depot on the other side we stacked our arms and the Col found us a breakfast of hot coffee and bread and cheese. well this is the first time that I ever let a letter lay over night, but we were called out to drill and dress parade and did not have time. it is pretty cold down / here this morning, a white frost. I had to give the boys a double quick this morning to warm them up before breakfast, for the Capt has not got back yet. I never knew what it was to want money till now. I would give anything for a 5. I sent my clothes to the boro in my satchel, with my name on it. it will come to the post office. write soon, direct Washington D.C. Company I 45 reg P.V.      Wm. Chase

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