On board the "Thos. Powell"

  Jas. River Va. Sept. 26^th 1864

 

Dear Friends

                        You will see by this we have left our old qrs. at Phila. We broke camp on the 22^nd came into the City—got diner at the soldiers Refreshment saloon got on board the cars for Balt. arrived on the 23 at 5 A.M. lay on the St. untill 5½ P.M.—started for Washington got to Washington Sat morn. 2½ A.M. stayed their untill Sun. morn. Marched to the Wharf & got on board about 2½ P.M. have been steaming along ever since—is supposed we will land at City Point to day at about 3 oclock. Our Regt. is one thousand strong—very few / boys in it.—it has been said to be one of the best Reg^ts that has gone out this time nearly all have been recruited in the interior of the state—& mostly countrymen we have a pretty fine set of fellows most from Delaware Co. but a few of them got pretty gay on the road to Wash'n the whole Reg^t was on one train & we had a pretty rough ride of it. one fellow fell off the top of the car when running was about drunk enough to keep him from being killed. Sat. we visited the Capitol its a great building but not as much attraction about it as I had immagined—could see the massive blocks of marble & halls but no one to tell us what they were for—could see to much—hardly find the through it—perhaps it would be more attractive if a / person was their in time of peace. think Esq. Noah would enjoy a visit their if he would not take into consideration the vast expenditure of money—they are still building as if their was no war in the Country—think the City is a pretty hard looking place would like to have had a trip around the wharf but then you cant leave the Co. for fear of being left behind. We are having a very nice ride to day—not a cloud to be seen. Evry thing looks gay. last night it was pretty rough crossing the bay but I did'nt see much of it could hear the waves lashing against the Boat.

 

Jno. is out of the Chaplaincy is also out of the office at Phila. dont know that he could have got staying—but did'nt appear to want to, appears to be fully in / notion of going to see the worst of it. saw our Chap. yesterday for the first—gave me this paper appears to be a very nice man a man who is calculated to get along with strangers right away think he is a Presⁿ

 

this is a pretty rough place to write dont know what part of the boat they call it but it is in the horse stable the Col. horse tramping about me all the time & the boys runing from one side of the boat to the other I have nothing of importance to communicate & it is hard to write a decent letter here. want you to burn this & I'll write soon again It appears to be a short distance to travel here on the map but not so much so when it comes to the reality of it evry hour is drifting us further from home. I am as well & hearty as can be. Write soon. had intended to write from Washington but neglected it. Will write soon after we land.

 

                                                                                    Yours As Ever

Co. B. 203 Reg^t P.V.—Care Cap. Brooke                                          Rufus

                                    Washington D.C.

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