Camp of the 30^th U.S. "Zouaves"

Near Goldsboro N.C. May 24^th 1865

 

Dear Aunt Ange:

                        Your favor of the 26^th of March alias April 9^th alias May 7^th mailed on the 8^th of May was received on the 18^th of May at 2½ P.M. I was very thankful for this letter, for it evedently was a studied and carefully written letter, every sentence must have been hewn to fit, and been carefully studied and duly pondered upon, else it never would have taken from the 26^th day of March to the 8^th day of May to have written it. In future please dont take so much pains with the letters you write to me 2 hours is as much time as I can afford to devote to a letter and I would rather have letters written right off hand, than these studied compositions. in one case it is like listening to the talk of the person, and in the other it is just as far from being natural as it well can be. It's like hearing them read a story. So dont devote more than two or three hours to writing letters to me in future. I like long letters but I want them off hand. Mind I dont complain of the length of the letter only of the length of time you were in writing it. I perceive that Miss Etta is second in command by the last part of the letter, which contains the following truly military sentence "Ma you see commenced this but had to leave it & go to meeting so it falls upon me to finish it" No beating about the bush there it was a "military necessity" for her to finish it, as the command devolved on her. 

 

I suppose that you have heard the history of our march from Northeast Station to Coxe's Bridge, our fight there, and our march back to Faisons Station N.C. our march from there to Raleigh N.C. our marching and countermarching at that place, our march from that place to Goldsboro N.C. and lastly our trip down to Keenansvill in Duplin County N.C. about half way from Goldsboro to Wilmington N.C. and near the Rail Road. Well when we returned from the last trip I found your letter waiting for me. But is'nt it all recorded in my correspondence to Uncle Jeff. Ettilin, & the rest of the folks so I forbear repeting it. I dont like to write these things all over for fear of repeating. Now each of the folks at home do likewise & I dont get half of the news, each one thinks that the other is going to write all about it, so all of them leave it out, & I miss it entirely just because they are afraid of repeting it.

 

Write all the news & all that is going on whether anyone else does or not. The fighting is all done now I think and the marching is all done I hope so I will have nothing but the steady routine of camp to write about I suppose hereafter. I find it hard work to collect sufficient material to write a letter, and then I fear it is'nt readable. this hot weather I am afraid that there is not enough in my letters to keep a person reading them awake, possably there may be for a place as cool as Laporte but I doubt whether it would in this lattitude. I have heard a great deal about the "Sunny / South" but I would prefer Greenland to any "Sunny South" I ever saw. There is a rumor in camp that there are orders at Division Hd. Qrs. forbidding the mustering in or mustering for promotion any more Officers for Colored Troops. That looks as though we should all be descharged before long. I wont resign, but I dont care much, how soon they muster us out especially if they wont allow us to be promoted. I have been thinking that probably the Regiment will be consolidated and the extra Officers mustered out. We shall soon know more about it however as we will get the orders before long. I cant make as much money at home as I can here, but I can enjoy myself a great deal better. And after all that is what we live for in this world, at least that is my notion. I no longer feel it to be my duty to stay here, therefore I feel like consulting my own convenience and wishes in the matter. All that makes me stay here now is about $140.— a month. I think that I would find it difficult to make a liveing at practicing law in Sullivan Co. at present, would'nt I? Or is Grim about played out? Please talk the matter over with Uncle Jeff (Q.E.) hold a "council of war" and let me know what conclusion you come to. I feel as though I have had to rough it here most to long to leave the service as soon / we get where we can have easy times. But the fact is I dont like to be where I cant do as I am a mind to. I am something like the boy who wrote the composition about the Seasons, (It was something like this), "There are 4 Seasons, Spring Summer Autumn & Winter. Some prefer one & some the other, 'but as for me Give me Liberty or Give me death.'"

 

An Officer in the army is but little better, at best, than a Slave. He is bound to obey orders no matter whether the Officer giving them knows any thing or not, if he is only the superior Officer even if he don't know half as much as the one he orders.

 

I find it very galling to me some times to be ordered around by some of our Officers, who have not half as much reason or judgment as Frankie Tugham. I could get along very well if they would allow us to tell them what we thought of them, but that wont answer. We must obey orders although we know that they are wrong, without a word of compaint.

 

I tell you anyone in the army is under a despotism as much as any one in Turkey, Russia, or any other place.

 

It is all very nice to talk about, but it's anything but funny sometimes. Tell Miss Etta that I am looking anxiously for that letter she promiced me. I wish you would send me a dozen of my photographs, some of each kind about half (or more) of them Guerrillas. I want to exchange photographs with all the Officers of our Regt. So send me at least a dozen & I will see that you are paid for them before a great while. Send the bill with them. Cant you print some vignetts of the one sitting down.

 

            Write soon, Give my love to all enquiring friends and especially to all enquiring Girls.

 

            Direct as before. John Reynolds I understand is in the 76^th Pa. Vols. If he is he is in one of the Brigades I think the First Brigade 2^nd Division 10^th Corps We are in the 1^st Brigade 3^rd Division 10^th Corps. The Second Division is stationed at Raleigh, & the 3^rd at Goldsboro N.C. If I had known that he was in the 76^th P.V. when we were at Raleigh I could have found him but we are a long ways apart now

 

                                                                                                Yours truly

                                                                                                H.R.Dunham

 

Mr Ingham will send the check in the morning

                                                                                    W.A.M.

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