Company A 33^d New Jersey Vols

                                                                        Lookout Valley Tenn: Mar. 23^d 1864

 

Dear George

                        Yours of the 13^th inst on Sunday last and was, as all its predecessors were gladly received

 

            Since I last wrote you, there have been no stirring events or occurrences which could greatly vary the monotony incidental to Camp life. We have remained quietly in camp, going through the ordinary daily routine, and for the most part, different temperatures and changing states of the weather have afforded the only means of distinguishing one day from its predecessor The only exceptions to this general statement have been two reviews in which our Regiment participated; and which by the little / excitement prefatory to each in the way of “getting ready” of brushing boots and clothes, giving brasses an extra polish, and musket barrels and bayonets an additional rub have lent some spice or variety to ordinary monotonous life which appears so inseparable from long continuance in the same camp.

 

The first review was on Friday afternoon, March 11^th and was of our Brigade by the Corps commander, Major General Howard; the other was that of the Division by Major General Hooker on the afternoon of the following Tuesday Both ceremonies passed off very well although neither would compare in point of numbers or in magnificence with the review in which I have humbly participated in the Army of the Potomac.

 

            General Hooker looked as / usual well; I wish you could see him on horseback. He is one of the finest horsemen I have ever seen since my connection with the Army, and he always rides a splendid horse. I have seen many of our prominent military leaders, amongst them Generals Banks, M^cClellan, Burnside Sumner Gilmore, Sherman, Thomas Couch Anderson, but I never have seen one who in form and appearance would impress me for soldierly bearing as Major General Joseph Hooker Tall, straight, well built, with an eye laughing yet piercing, with the manners of the gentleman “Uncle Joe” looks the fighter and the warrior that he is. What may have been the temperance qualities of General Hooker whilst in command of the Army of the Potomac I have no personal means of judg- / ing, but I do not hesitate to pronounce the great majority, if not all of the stories of his frequent intoxication as downright lies, invented for the purpose of injuring the General.

 

            General Hooker, you will know was never a favorite of the McClellan faction at the North, and from the moment he took command of the Army of the Potomac to the present time the newspapers of that party prominent among which is the New York Herald did not spare any lies or any abuse which would tend to vilify the character of the General as a man and as a soldier. The General happens to be a bachelor and all those stories of Mrs Hooker were false: the lady evidently meant was a sister of the General, whose husband was an officer in the army.

 

            I have seen the General on private interviews three times, and publicly frequently; at no time has his behavior led me to believe he was in the slightest degree under the influence of liquor; his conduct every time was such as to convince me he is a perfect gentleman. Nor have I since I have been under General Hookers command heard any reports from those around and about him which afford grounds for belief that he is a drunkard. Despite all the lies and reports of the Herald I doubt whether with the exception of Grant there is to day a more popular General / than Joseph Hooker; and speak as people may of Chancellorsville; the soldiers of the East and West whom I have met are [?]ing to swear by the man who deserves the credit of Gettysburg and the conqueror of Lookout Mountain—brave, gentlemanly soldierly—fighting Joe Hooker.

 

            You ask what sort of a looking man is Carl Schurz. He is not “fat and lager beery”; not having seen Sigel I cannot say whether there is any resemblance twixt the two or not I am not much of a hand at describing the personal appearance of individuals, more than to give general adjective descriptive lists; and in these adjectives I would say General Schurz neither handsome nor noble; nor is he very ugly.—Describing him in the regular army formulae I should say General Schurz was 43 years of age. 6 feet, 2 inches in height; complex- / ion sandy hair’mixt dark auburn and brown; eyes gray (I think) and “occupation when enlisted” a lawyer.—He wears glasses; his hair is worn rather long for an American and a soldier he has in my opinion no marked foreign apperance. He speaks English fluently and with but little perceptible foreign accent; and he uses the language with more force and propriety than many educated Americans. I have never seen him at a loss for words to express his thoughts. General Schurz although his appearance does not particularly indicate the fact is no ordinary man; but in my humble opinion the field upon which he is destined to shine most briliantly is that of law and politics, not war.

 

General Thomas is a thick set man of medium stature bluff, bushy haired and whiskered decidedly farmer like in appearance General Sherman, not Port Royal but Ohio / Sherman is about five ten or eleven, sandy beard. freckled or rather bronzed complexion, rather slovenly in dress and profane in language. General Howard is about five feet eleven; fine looking, with high forehead, open, frank face, pleasant voice; with but one arm, the left and is in manners and speech a gentleman a Christian and a soldierly officer General Geary is tall, dark complexioned heavy black-bearded, and looks more like the manager of a traveling circus than the soldier who commands the “White Star Division” General Steinwehr is short, stumpy, “dutchy” with the “sweet German accent,” but is affable pleasant and well-liked. Colonel Buschbeck who commands our Brigade is very tall and well-built; fine headed polite but quick tempered; and a good heart which sometimes gets the better of his judgment. I like him very well. He is the Colonel of the 24^th Penn- / sylvania, which returns home in May next, its term of service expiring then: he succeeded the worthless Einstein in 1861.

 

Lieutenant Macalom who was buried last Monday week in Philadelphia belonged to the 27^th; he was Major when he received his death wounds November 25^th but his commission as Lieutenant Colonel reached him ere he died. He was an Irishman, a fine man and a spendid soldier; he was a private in the 27^th in 1861; he fell with three wounds at the head of his Regiment in the attack on the left of Mission Ridge—Poor fellow the last time I spoke to him was the night before his death, as he was standing by a fire in rear of a barricade of logs which his regiment and ours were erecting.—

 

I received an invitation through Gaskill but did not accept and attend from reasons of prudence and necessity which I trust you will appreciate; [?] (that’s correct isnt it?) I am greatly indebted &c &c to the Committee for its polite invite and you are hereby authorized to present my thanks to them and to the association. I shall be very glad to hear from my old comrades and such new members of the PLA as desire to write to me; I will do my best at a reply, should they favor me. I trust the performances of Monday evening next will go off satisfactorily to all concerned—listeners as well as speakers

 

Present my regards to Quinn Gaskill Richards Sh[?]rds and the rest not excepting Buzby & Hillman

 

Give my love to your Father & Mother & Jesse and accept from Your[?]

                                                                                    Will

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