Newburg Jany 30^th/62

Camp Calvey Morris

 

                        I received your letter dear wife last night at this place. It was brought to me from Grafton to which place you had directed it. It made me very sad to think of you all so wrong, and yet glad to hear that you were well. I can see dear Louise already that you are like a true wife beginning to forget yourself in your thoughts of your husband. I have indeed found hardships to begin with even at our first camp. We did not leave Parkersburg until eight oclock Tuesday night, and were delayed for hours upon the road waiting for the regular train. This delayed us so long that we did not reach this place until last evening. I kept the men in the cars all night, sleeping myself on the floor of our baggage car. I had / a very comfortable sleep, excepting that every now and then a drop of rain would come down from the roof of the car, which proved not to be water [?]. After breakfast I made the men pitch their tents and sent some cars about six miles for lumber to cover the bottoms of their tents. They needed this badly as the ground was perfectly saturated with water, and the rain & snow continued to come down at intervals during the whole day. Tonight the men are generally very comfortable with their lumber & stoves. As for Col Constable Major Reily the Chaplain & myself we are for tonight quartered on the floor of a farm house with a large fire at our feet. We expect to be very comfortable, and I doubt not sleep will come to my eyes very readily for I have had a very hard days work. I have been constantly on my feet excepting at dinner / wading in the mud and water, looking after the men and their comforts. We have all worked well & are all tired. How long we will remain here is very uncertain, but I suppose for a week or more, as there seems at present to be no need of us at any point very near. We are all doing well, and if the rains & snow would only stop so that the sun could shine out brightly, everything would brighten up for us.

 

            And now dear wife I have tried to give you some detail of our movements so far. The account is general & your imagination must fill up the detail of guard mounting, sending out picket guards for the night, and all the other duties which go to fill up camp life, in such a situation as we now occupy. It would take pages to write it all out, and would not interest you any more / than the general account. There is something however which you will be glad to learn, that I am constantly receiving from both officers and men expressions of confidence and affection, which seem to grow more earnest, the more strict the discipline. Indeed the men already seem to look to me for everything. This is gratifying but of course it brings its own trouble. These I am willing to hear, for I know that in time of need my men will stand by me. Pray dear wife for our prosperity, and that I may have the strength, and wisdom given me to properly fill my position. I feel the great responsibility which rests upon me, and seek for aid from a higher source than my own feebleness. My prayers go up unceasingly for you and the children. May God bless & preserve you, and enable you to prosper during my absence.

 

Capt Harris has just returned from a scout of some six or seven miles from camp & reports all safe. So good night dear wife with kisses & love for you & the children

N. C. M^cLean

           

Col Constable & Major Reily send love & remembrances—

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