Huttonsville Camp Milroy

March 1st 1862

 

            The first day of spring dear wife and for once the almanac from appearances has not made a mistake. The sun shines brightly and everything looks as spring like as possible. They say it will not last however for a day like this is an exception. It has rained, snowed or done something of that kind every day this winter, if the people here give a true account. I will take the weather as it is and be thankful. Our men seem to feel bright & happy with the exception of the sick. I am sorry to say that the measles have fairly got into the regiment, and I presume it will not leave us until all who are subject to the attack will suffer. According to the report made by our Surgeons we have about one hundred & fifty / men who have not had the disease. If all take it we will suffer severely although as yet we have lost none from the disease. We have secured a house for them where they can be made as comfortable as possible. The poor fellows already there look very sick, but they seem to feel gratified by my visits which are made as frequently as possible.

 

Gen^l Milroy intimates that we are to remain at this point for some little time until he can procure transportation sufficient for all the troops here & to come. This will take some time. In spite of the horrible roads I pushed my regiment forward according to orders whilst the report is that the eighty second & fifty fifth Ohio who received the same orders at about the same time are waiting at different points on the railroad for the roads to improve. This may be slander for / the delay may arise from other causes, but the fact is so that they have not marched as I did. This promptness on our part will no doubt give our Gen^l a favorable impression which can do us no harm for the future. The mail arrives today they say and no doubt it will bring me a letter from you of a later date, which will be most thankfully received. My letters to you have since the commencement of our march been few & far between when compared with former absences, but it was unavoidable. When we leave this point which is the last place where a post office is established I do not know how we are to hear from each other. We must both write all the same however, and then although the letters do not come we will each know that the other has written / and thus derive some consolation from the fact that we are making every effort to hold intercourse with each other. I have received but one letter from Tot since her arrival at St Louis. She seems to be perfectly infatuated and must be left to undeceive herself by personal experience.

 

I received a letter from Mr Munroe in which he says that Mr Keys refuses to pay his note now past due on the rent to become due, unless a reduction is made. I will write to him in a day or two and authorize him to make such reduction for the time being as he deems proper & to notify you what he does. Keys is a tricking man and I fear mean, dishonest. when I return I will take him in hand. This will reduce your income considerably. When the Paymaster comes around I can send you a supply / He is said to be at Beverly now, but not for the purpose of paying off the seventy fifth. The men are all very anxious to have a visit from him, as some of their families are suffering for want of means. I hope my own family may not be in the same situation I have just been interrupted for about ten minutes by Co^l Constable upon a point of tactics, and this is only one of many, so that the time has slipped by for our mail carrier and I must carry my letter myself to the office about a mile distant. Did you receive my telegraph from this point? It is rather costly business considering the state of my finances, but I could not resist the temptation of letting you know where we were & that we were all well. We (that is our mess) are a poor set at present. Col Constable has about sixty cents / Major Reily two or three dollars, the Adjutant nothing & myself twenty two dollars. I am therefore the nabob of the concern. We all expect to improve in a short time. Indeed we need but little money as the most of our supplies come from the Quartermaster. You need not therefore feel sorry for us for we make very nice over our poverty & sleep just as soundly as if we had our pockets full.

 

            Give my love to the children and all the family, and retain for yourself darling wife more than I can possibly express

                                   

N. C. M^cLean

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