Camp Kalorama

                                                                                                            Sept 21^st 1861

 

My Dear Parents

                        To night I am Lieutenant of the Guard which is composed of 81 men. We are put on duty at 10 oclock AM and stay there until the same hour the next day. It is now nearly 12 oclock at night and in a few minutes I must go and put on the Relief. All the Guard, together with the Lieutenant are required to stay at the Guard Quarters all the time, but it has been raining all afternoon, and the quarters are so wet & muddy that I have ordered each relief as it comes in to go to their respective Company Quarters and stay until they are needed. As for myself I am snugly located in my own tent, where I propose to spend the night, making an occasional visit to the Guard to see that all is right. I am messing with the Capt. 2^d Lieutenant & Orderly Sergeant. all in one Mangure, or large tent. Our 2^d Lieut / is out recruiting to fill the Company in which effort I hope he will succeed for it is a very trying business to drill recruits as they come in to the Company Standard. The Capt & Orderly are sound asleep & I am all alone in the tent with nothing to read or think about except home. So I have concluded to pass some of the time in writing to you

 

The order of business from day to day is as follows. Roll call at sunrise. Squad drill, for one hour and a half. Company drill from 1/2 past 10 till 12. Squad drill from 2 till 1/2 past 3. Regimental drill from 1/2 past 4 till 6. Not a very trying ordeal. Our Reg contains at present eleven companies. We expect to lose one, leaving 10. The regular regimental number. It is called the “Round Head” Regiment. Why I am unable to say, unless because it is from Western Penn^a where stubborn Presbyterianism is supposed to live and flourish in special exuberance. It is said that the Secretary of War gave it that name when he issued the com / mission to the Col. So far as the “physique” of the Reg is concerned it is a good one, but in a moral aspect it excels. There are nightly prayer meetings, and general good conduct characterizes and distinguishes it from most others. I havent seen a single case of intemperance since I came here. This is partly owing to the moral tone of the men, and partly to the difficulty of procuring liquor. We have Guards stationed all around, who examine every man who passes in order to see whether he has any liquor about his person. One of the best signs of the times is the severe discipline that is enforced in the Army around Washington. No soldier or officer is permitted to appear on the streets unless he has a pass from the Col of his Reg. countersigned by the Brigadier General. The rations we get are good & fresh beef, ham, coffee, tea once a week, potatoes twice a week, sugar, bread rice and beans. We get a great deal more than we did in the 3 months service we are not yet uniformed nor / have we the guns which we expect but have the promise of both in a day or two. We will most probably move to the other side of the Potomac so soon as we are uniformed and properly armed. We have no reliable news, but hear evry day of an expected battle which never takes place

 

You did not say whether you had rec^d the certificate of deposit I sent you from Pittsburg. I thought some of trying to recruit for our Company about Indiana, but judging from your letter as to the number of companies raising there the chance would be slim. We will fill up from Lawrence County and the neighboring Counties. I had the offer of a 1^st Lieutenancy in another Company from Newcastle, now in Col Powers Reg. I also had the offer of a Company, but feared it might not be filled over 1000 men having already gone out of the County. Tell them to write me from Hollidaysburg and write soon yourselves. I will let you know my movements, whenever an opportunity offers                     Your Son

                                                                                                                                    John

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