Francis M. Guernsey to Frances E. Doty, 25 October 1862
                                                                                                Camp Bragg Oct 25th
 
My Dear Fannie
                        I am sitting alone in my tent waiting for the evening reports to be made. the Adjutant has gone down town with a patrole after boys that have run the guard, and left me to act in his stead. I have nothing to do to pass off the time so I will commence you a letter. since writing you before we have been making some new arangements. the field and staff officers have got their tents up and we are now living in them. the Adjutant and myself ocupy one together. our tent is much more pleasant and comfortable than the barracks. we have a little stove in one corner a cot bed in another a writing table in another / the rest of the tent is pretty well filled with our things necsessary for keeping house. we have suffered with the cold some as we have had no stove before to-day but now we are enjoying ourselves finely our tent is eight and one half feet high square with walls three feet high so that it makes a very comfortable little house for two of us.
 
(Sunday morning) I did not have time last evening to finish this so that I will do it now. The Govenor was here on Thursday. he made us a very appropriate address, told us that he was proud of our Regiment and that he was sure that we would never bring a reproach upon the fair name of the Wisconsin soldiers. we gave him three rousing cheers and then three for our Col. we then escorted the Gov down town for him to take the cars for Madison /
 
We have received no marching orders yet but are expecting them every day. the Reg is getting very impatient. they want to go to a warmer climate than this, but poor fellows, some of them will be glad enough to get back home again I imagine before this war is closed. some of the boys are just beginning to realize the hardships of a soldiers life during a winters campaign, although they have not as yet had a fair taste of it. I think though that we shall be pretty well provided for through the influence of our Col. we are to be provided with India Rubber blankets. we already have woolen ones that are very good. our clothing (with the exception of some of our overcoats) is first rate I mean good enough for soldiers.
 
            Fanny you say you get lonesom I guess I do myself once in a while but I am so busy most of the time that it keeps my mind occupied / with other things so that I do not get the blues very often if we were going to stay here any length of time and if it were not for the parting I should try and to get you to come down here and stay a few days or until we should go away. it would be very pleasant for me and I presume you would enjoy yourself pretty well, but the parting I should dread. it is very hard for me to speak the last “good by” to those I love so well, but it has to be done sometimes you know. You have made a rather singular request Fanny but I suppose that I shall have to grant it unless I should get wounded in the arm so that I could not write, but my dear girl you must not borrow any trouble about those things, for I probably shall not get wounded I dont mean that I shall run from the enemy, but be one of the lucky ones that escapes unhurt you know. I have not yet found time to write those lines yet and if I never do you must charge it to Uncle Sam for he will be the one to blame for it. but I see that I must close. please write soon, give my love to Sarah & all your people and believe me as ever—
 
                                                                                    Yours
                                                                                                Frank M Guernsey
[overwritten]
P. S. I met Mrs. Glendenning down town at a party a few evenings since and got some acquainted with her. most of the officers were invited and of course I had to go we had some dancing as well as visiting it passed off very pleasant all that was missing on my part was the absence of one face which I had rather have seen than all the rest of them Oh how I wished you were there Fanny, but good by I must close God bless and keep you is the prayer of
                                    Frank
 
the letter with the money came safe you need not have sent it
1817
DATABASE CONTENT
(1817)DL0301.03155Letters1862-10-25

Letter From First Lieutenant Frank M. Guernsey, 32nd Wisconsin Infantry, Camp Bragg, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, October 25, 1862, to Fannie


Tags: Camp/Lodging, Clothing, Loneliness, Money, Pride, Railroads, Recreation, Supplies, United States Government, Weather

People - Records: 2

  • (820) [writer] ~ Guernsey, Francis M.
  • (822) [recipient] ~ Doty, Frances Eugenia ~ Guernsey, Frances Eugenia

Places - Records: 1

  • (769) [origination] ~ Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin

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SOURCES

Francis M. Guernsey to Frances E. Doty, 25 October 1862, DL0301.031, Nau Collection