PS. Co. H. 21^st Reg^t. Pa. Cav. Pottsville Schuylkill Co. Pa

 

Camp Near Pottsville Schuylkill Co. Pa.

  Aug^t 26^th 1863

 

Dear Friends                                                                         

                        I suppose you are aware of us being moved. the Reg^t had marching orders at 5 oclock Thurs. 20 our squad did not know we would have to go untill after dark—got orders to join the Reg^t & of course had to pack up. got under way by 9 oclock—came up within 2 miles of Shippensburg & bivoaced in the woods the Reg^t being only 2½ miles in advance—had no particular desire to over take them as it was much more pleasant traveling in a small squad, than in the Reg^t often you could not see the second man in front of you & sometimes could not see the road. We went the walnut bottom road from Shippensburg to Carlisle—had intended to stay behind next day but we got short of feed & the Lt. begin to think it would not work to forage for the horses & ourselves to—we lived fat off the public & he bought bought the liquor. he is an odd kind of man / would not be a bad sort of fellow if he had have been with decent people, treated me very respectfully, could'nt find a fault to him in that respect, but would black guard & swear with those other rascals. the secret of the thing was, they are trying to oust their Cap^t & he is trying to keep them right & urging them on so he gets the situation. one fine thing the Reg^t is clear of two of those blackguards When they came to Harrisburg they got so drunk they could not keep from fighting people—were put under arrest—run off—quarreled with the officers, struck some of them. one of the Co. told me they would send them to the Rip Raps The night we came up to Shippensburg the boys in the rear was singing singing a methodist himn to pass the time & Murphy got to mimicing & ridiculing them. When one of them asked him to lead in prayer it blocked him completely—a greatdeal better than if he had told him to kiss his A__ their are a good many little things of the kind to amuse some of the boys, such as making fun of the mule drivers when they get in a bad humor &c. 

 

We got to Camp Couch on Sat. 2 P.M. lay their until morning & as usual was up by daylight to make a good sundays work believe some of our officers would march on sunday if no other day in the week went the pike down leabanon valley a splendid valley fine buildings & evry thing in the best of style. all duch, as broad as they are long, there has been no soldiers through this part of the Country & we were a great novelty—thought we were the regulars of Gen. Meads army—had a better opinion of us than some of the people at home—never refused us any thing we asked—could have had as much liquor as would have tightened us for a month came into a little village on Sunday evening 5 miles from Leabanon the citizens brought out the greatest quntities of pie cakes & bread you have seen. it was disposed of in short notice—a woman offered me a pie—tomato—the best ever I tasted—try it. We struck a north east course from leabanon, through a mountainous country something like Aughwich, crossed the blue Moun- / tain, about as steep & long on this side as broad top—got into a real buckwheat country—came down Cressona Valley, to Schuylkill haven a place of great buisiness just full of cars & canal boats building & running. Next came to Pottsville a town of some note built in among the hills their is nothing here but hills & hollows a good deal like the broad top region land poor, but flourishing villages have good water for ourselves but the horses will hardly drink the creek water it being so strong of sulphur from the mines. if all accounts are true, we might as well be in Va. fighting the rebels as among these ignorant duch Irish & Welsh. it is reported we are under marching orders for Scranton or Staunton Luzerne Co. expect to move this afternoon If the Dr thinks we came to avoid the draft & others say we are nothing but rowdies, I would have them know that we get the praise of being the best Co. in the Reg^t comeing from Harrisburg we had the right, or advance of the Reg^t 2 days in three. the last day one of the boys heard the Dr & Lt. Col. holding a counsel where they would get a good rear guard for the last day—Dr. mentioned Cap^t Walkers as their was less stragling in his Co. than in any other Co. in the evening, the Col complimented the Capt—said he never saw a Reg^t enter a place in better order & less stragling. so much for the rowdies. Cap^t Sam gets along very well is the right kind of a man for the buissines, passes with the other officers first rate. Dear help Cap. Denny if he was in Sams place. I have been acting orderly this 2 days the orderly being sick. our QMaster Pott & Forage master Barclay Serg^ts dont come up to Sam's notion of things the first not being as sharp as he thought he was, the other gets tight. I left a nice frying pan at M^cGraths in Chambersburg for you when we left the boys bought it & could not bring it along—get it as soon as you can Lieuts Skinner & Fergeson have both left us, the boys found out some thing about Skinner they did'nt know, I was not disappointed all I have to say is to keep your eye on the Skinners at home I'll tell you more about it next time. will reply to Sues request as soon as I can. if you want me to do like Sol. you will have to burn my letters for I have no place to write but in the tent on my belly the paper lying on the bare blanket            Rufus

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