Fort Sandy Hook Jan the 16.1864

 

            Dear and much respected relatives I once more attempt to write to you to let you know that I am well excepting a cold we left Rochester last Sundy evening about 9 oclock arived in N. York Monday evening about the same time and but few had any thing to eat in 30 hours I tell you it was rather tough but we lived it through the reason of this was the oficers was drunk and forgot our rations we staid in N York untill wednesday morning we marched down to castle garden expecting to ship for this place but for some cause or other we did not leave untill after noon in this time we emploid our selves the best we could the boys thought they was like to loose their diners so they made / themselves free with any thing that they could lay hands to they broke open 3 lbs of sugar 12 boxes of peres 1 bbl of ginger popp I can tell you it flew free the officers had to place a guard through the freight house to prevent further distruction at last we started had a nice ride but when the boys got here they felt home sick it is nothing but a bed of sand one will sink half over shoe every step we have comefterable baracks but no stove which makes it bad many are reported sick every day we do our cooking out doors but shal not do so long the oficers has sent for stoves to cook by and to put in the baracks I like soldiering as well as I expected to one cant very well be lonesome but it all seemes strange it is like town meting / every day but I am getting use to it but leaving familey and friends is the worst of all but we must not lay these things to heart but hope for the best the Goverment is building a large fort hear some guns that would make you stair rifel canon that weighs 9777 pounds carage and all caries 64 pound ball some smooth bore that caries 120 pound ball but these are small to what they will have when the fort is finished but I will not write no more of the details about this place or I tire your pcience I have not heard from home but once since I left I feel very anctious to hear I sent home $275 and a satchel of clothes but I am in hopes that they are all right I hope they folks at home will get along well this winter I hope Father has got reconciled I dont want any hardness if it can be / avoided reasonably but I shal not creap nor crall after him or any body elce as long as my name is Hank live or die survive or perish I wish to live in peace with every one but humainty can not bear every thing I have bore a forbore till forbearace was out of the question you may think this hard talk but it is none the less true now I am here it was a desperate exertion but I mean to persevere or die in the attempt if I live it through I shal feel as thou I was one the survivers of the great rebellion if I die I die in a good cause but I think this is more than I ought to write but it must come out but I will close write soon and let me know how you get along Direct Fort Sandy Hook N York Harbor Company L 14 Heavey Artillery 3 battallion N York Volenteers

 

Charles H Turner to his brother L Turner

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