Camp Casey Virginia

                                                                                                            March 25^th 1864

Mrs A. B. Hawley

 

            Dear Sister & Friend,

Yours of the 20^th reached me yesterday & much gratified was I to hear from you. I am well & in good spirits, enjoying myself first rate. My duties are numerous & laborious, yet time passes rapidly & night succeeds morning almost imperceptibly. I am in command of Co. E. & permanently assigned. The Co was commenced only two weeks since & is now full. I have eighty men to look after & drill four hours a day. Still I like my position & would not be relieved from it if I could be, if I could help it, though I suppose that a captain will take command of the Co sometime perhaps after I have fully organized & drilled it, So that he will have nothing to do but go on & / draw the pay which his rank allows him, after having avoided the labor & trouble of fitting the Co for service. My men are of all shades, “from black to almost white” as you say & they learn the movements of Company drill very quick & easy “much more readily than white soldiers do as a general thing” Some of the men are musicians, though but few sing, but play on the banjo, accordeon, or violin. Most of them have been free all their lives, though some are freed slaves. It is truly interesting to notice the almost childish confidence which they repose in their officers. Most of them enlisted in Washington & received a bounty of $150 & they confide it to the care of their officers for safe keeping. Some of the officers have had thousands of dollars in their possession which these simple creatures give them with no other security than a simple receipt. They draw a few dollars at a time as they may wish to use it.

 

The regiment has now five full Companies & a small detachment of another company, recruited in at the rate of 30 to 40 pr week, at which rate, it will take some three months yet to fill the ranks & some time will be taken after we are full to drill the reg^t. It is supposed that we will be sent to New Orleans or Florida.

 

You ask me if I think that the Fermont Brigade will be discharged in June? I understand that the War Department has decided that all who have not re-enlisted will be discharged at that time & it is understood that Adg^t Gen^l Washburn has written to several persons to that effect in the brigade & “they say” that Gov Smith told some of the officers of the 5^th that he understood it so. /

 

It would be an unfortunate circumstance if Amos & I should both go home at the same time, for I think we should quarrel as to who should have the first hug of Henry. Certainly the little fellow would be in no slight jeophardy for one hour after our arrival. Kiss him for me & take the “will for the deed” in your own case & mothers.

 

I have had a 2^nd Lieutenant to assist me till yesterday when he left on a ten days leave of abscence. The reg^t is now under command of Lt Col Cleaveland J Campbell, who arrived a day or two since.

 

Allow me to join you in your ardent hope that Amos will return safe & sound to the wife who loves him so dearly. I am sure no one can doubt the sincere & unchanging affection which you lavish on him.

 

A cold storm of wind & rain is beating down but we are well housed & the officers quarters are very convenient & comfortable.

 

The lights of the City shine with unusual brilliancy as the night is darker than common.

 

Please write again & give the news Has As family moved to the “Street”? & what are New Haveners doing generally?

 

                                                                        Truly Geo. S. Hawley

 

Direct simply 23^d Reg^t USC Troops Washington DC

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