Annapolis Md. Jan 8^th 1862

 

Dear Parents,

                        As I said in my last we were to go on board ship monday. well monday noon we struck our tents. we had to be down at the dock at two oclock. after we got our tents down and all ready to start, orders came that we could not go on board until six in the evening the regiment started about four oclock for the navy yard. when they arrived there they built some camp fires for it was cold and the wind blew quite fresh. well six oclock came but we didnt go on board at about eleven the first seven companies went on board. one company has been seperated from us for a week or two to man three gun boats. the two remaining Co. staid by the camp fire until one half past one 

 

Jan. 12. about twelve oclock the wind increased and the cold two, at half past one they moved us into one of the naval academy buildings and stopped there until daylight when all were again astir about eight oclock we were marched down to the dock ready to go on board, which we did when it was nearly noon.

we laid near the dock the rest of the day only dropping of a few rods. they kept bringing freight on board all the rest of the day. the next day was passed much the same way. about four oclock a tug hauled along side and was going to tow us down the harbor, but not all being aboard they left us again. just after dark another tug hitched on to us and towed us down the harbor to where the steamer was which had the rest of the regiment on board. it is the New Brunswick of Portland we lay passed our line on board laid by until morning early in the morning General Burnside came / in a small boat and inquired if we were all ready the capt told him we were. about half past seven a gun was fired and we moved out of Annapolis harbor and now we are out on the Chesapeake. The rest of the fleet we have left in the rear so far that but few of them can be seen from the deck. I haven't said any thing about the vessels we are in I'll first speak of the steamboat. I have not been on board of her. she is about the size of the Granite State I should judge. she is fitted up with births inside and is on purpose to transport troops. General Foster and staff are on board of her. Our vessel is a schooner built for sea purposes and is a very safe and quite a nice craft. it is not fitted to convey troops there are no births only in the cabin for the capt of the vessel and mates and in the forecastle for the sailors. the last thing she was used / was to convey coal. she has been at stanferd and Greenwich both with that article. The Capt says he did not know that he had to carry troops until the morning we went on board and that the vessel wasn't fit to carry troops, but we are in the left wing and it is good enough for us, or that is the way the Colonel always acts, he being influenced entirely by capt Pardee, every thing being as he says.

 

7½ oclock, PM

            We are now below the mouth of the potomac and nearly in the enemies country all we have to do is to put in shore through the afternoon the other vessels of the fleet some of them came up, but now there is but the light of one vessel to be seen. I suppose we shall see them all tomorrow morning at fortress monroe in Hampton Roads. We had a meeting on board to night conducted by Lieutenant Camp, our new Lieutenant. The Sutler has a lot of things on board of our boat / which he has no business to do, but the boys are raising the "chickens" with his things they have opened barrels of walnuts ginger nuts tobacco sugar in fact any thing they took a notion to. to night since we have been in the hold some of the men on deck rolled over board a hogshead of tobacco. I think it's a shame to abuse a mans things But the trouble is, the men are very much down on the sutler because he charged such exorbitent prices for his things the Colonel upholding him, having an interest in the concern and is a cousin to the sutler I believe by marriage.

 

Jan 10^th There was a very thick fog last night so that we came to achor about twelve miles from Hampton Roads, not daring to run into the roads when there was so much on account of the number of vessels. We are now anchored off the fort. they are after the letters so I must stop     

                                          

Your aff son W L Savage

 

We laid at anchor until about twelve oclock when they hove up the anchor passed a rope to the New Brunswick and started for Fortress Monroe which place we soon reached, and dropped our anchor. There are a great many (or perhaps I'd better say a large number) of vessels of different kinds lying at anchor here. there are among others several men of war, which look rather ferocious. When we came to anchor in the night we were right opposite the mouth of the Bay so that by setling to the east it would take us right out on the Atlantic. of course there was an ocean swell which made the boat heave some, and made the fellows look pretty sober, and a few of them a little sick. I expected that I should be for I hadn't been very well for a day having quite a hard headache.

 

Jan. 11

            I closed up my letter in a great / hurry yesterday to have my letter go but it was too late. I got on deck just as they were pushing off. We are now lying at anchor between Fortress Monroe and the Rip Raps. On the shore near the fort lies the big Union gun, and it's a large thing. I believe there are seventy acres in it. Lieutenant Close was ashore yesterday, and went round in the fort. he says it a splendid place live oak trees there as green as our trees in summer flowers all around in full bloom cannon balls piled up by the acre, provision, any quantity of them, stores there with a better assortment than could be found in Annapolis, fine houses a quite a good many of them built of brick. he said as warm as september inside. Around the outside of the fort was a ditch several rods wide and he couldn't tell how deep filled with water. I shall try a get ashore I think if there is so much to be seen. he / tells me there is a large supply of cannon inside of the fort rows of them ten and twelve rods long.

           

Direct

W. L. Savage

Co. I. 10 Regt. C.V.

Coast Division, Store ship Marcia Greenleaf

Old Point Comfort,

Virginia.

 

Quite a number of vessels arrived last night and this morning. there is a large number of vessels here in the roads now I cant say how long we may have to stay here, but I hope if we are not to have any different quarters it wont be long. The Col and Lieu Col are on board now, and I hope they will make some different arrangements for our comfort. I do hope they will have some bunks put up. I have not recieved any letter since we left camp at annapolis. I recieved a pamphlet Lillie containing a sermon preached thanksgiving day. We had a little talk about the party last night, and a little wishing to be there, but instead of coming nearer home we went 150 miles further south.

                                                                                               

Your aff son       W. L. Savage

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