Camp in Loudan Valley Va

Near Harpers Ferry

Sunday Nov 16^th/62

 

Dear Friends at Home

            I Received a letter from Antoinette a few days ago and from Mother last night and will do a little something in the way of answering if I am not called on. Yesterday between 3 and 4 hundred from our Brigade (I being one of number) went over to Maryland Heights to clear a place for a Battery. it is awful hard work to get up there from Harpers Ferry but after you are up there is a magnificent view it overlooks Harpers Ferry, and Bolivar Heights where there is probably 30 or 40 thousand Soldiers (judgeing from the number of tents) You can see up the Shenandoah Valley for miles and miles and Loudan valley the same and you can see up the / Potomac for several miles. I cannot describe it so you can get any idea of it at all it is the grandest sight I ever beheld. I would give $25.00 if you could be up there once, and you would give $25.00 rather than to have to go up again, you have no idea about hills untill you go to Harpers Ferry. there is another Squad gone over there today to work, Jim Colter is one of them So you see he is around yet. we have to cross both pontoon bridges to go over there. I will answer Antoinettes question about pontoons as well as I can these bridges are made by anchoring large boats or scows a little way apart all the way across and laying planks from one boat to another they will hold up anything. when we came back last night we run across one of them on purpose to make it rock. a pontoon Regt on the move have a / wagon and 4 horses to every boat and its fixings. So you can judge whether they are strong. I said in some letter or other that I did not remember how much money I put in the Bank for you but I think in the neighborhood of $50.00 a year or two ago. I saw John North at Harpers Ferry the other day driving and Ambulance team the Ambulance Corps is about a half a mile from us we are about 2 miles from the Ferry. I asked him for a picture but they are all taken. Yes I have seen those photograph albums and you are welcome to use my pictures. We heard that Joe Whiting had left Ansonia and concluded it was to get rid of the Draft. John North Studley and John were detailed for the Ambulance Corps with several others Rob Martindale is another. they took so many from each Co in the Brigade I suppose. / there is a good many that are not able to do duty now and will be more if we dont have some place to sleep beside on the ground pretty soon. Lieut Doolittle has not resumed his command yet and we dont know any better than you, when he will. Capt Chaffee Lieut Doolittle Lieut Foley and Orderly Sherman are all ailing or sick and 2^ond Sergeant Smith does all the business now. I dont know how sick they are but Capt Chaffee has not done anything since we came here. it makes almost double duty for us that are well, there is so many ailing. I have been on picket once since we came here out on the turnpike we had to stand in the road and stop everybody that came along, and if they did not have a pass send them back whichever way they came, and if they looked suspicious take them to headquarters. in the night I / stood in front of a farm house under the stoop the farthest picket out but one. I had 2 dogs and a cat for company I had to watch up the road and if anybody came along halt them and go out and see who they was. I tell you I kept my eyes peeled, for the Rebel Cavalry had been within a half of the house the afternoon before, but I had no trouble that night. I have heard nothing about any grapes. Yes: Newton and Jimmy were in the Battle of Anteatam they dont like it very well and were as suprised to see us as we were to see them. I believe I have answered your letter and and now I will answer yours and Mother's that I received last night. I do not care for a tippet but the gloves I want. there has been lots of boxes received in camp and I dont believe there was one but what had liquor in. there has been none of them opened / the Browns had one come with some in, and their folks to make it sure put their liquor in tin cans and marked on the cans (Grape Jelly) and sodered them up but the box was not opened untill it got here and then by them. Hylan Rogers had a box from Derby and when he opened it there was a bottle of cherry rum in it. A bottle might break, but a can or two would not especialy if sealed and marked Grape Jelly, and if it was opened they could not deny a fellow a little Grape Jel. all the trouble would be if the express Agent asked if there was liquor in when you sent it you could tell him no and that would be the end of it. Jim Colter had some in his box, and I dont see why we cant get it as well as others all you want to do is to work it fine. You may send my wrappers those white ones not the blue. we have not got any new coats yet and these blouses are rather thin. Hylan Rogers, Ed Eggleston, Mark Warriner, Noyce Meare, Walter Linsly, and myself have got a shantie that we sleep in. one end is open and we build a fire in front just outside and lay with our feet / to the fire, the wind is just right so that it blows all the smoke inside today. Father has just been here and read the letters and it smoked him out. I spoke about some tobacco, we have to pay 10 cts a paper at the sutlers and if you cant get it less you need not send any if you can get it cheaper by the pound send 2 or 3 pound and a little smoking too. I wish you could go to Harpers Ferry once you would think you had got to the end of world a great many of the buildings are knocked down and window glass are scarce in some of the buildings. You had better not delay your other box too long for we can get it now if we ever can. I suppose some of my friends think I dont write very regular, but I cannot my fingers are so cold now that I cant write plain and I think I am getting to be a miserable penman. tell Mother I will write her / soon am very thankful for the trouble she has had to get me change and tell her to not mind the change if she cant get it send a bill (1 dollar bill) it is rumored that we shall get paid this week but I think it is very uncertain I dont care for any socks. I have applied for a pair of stockings and another pair of drawers as one pair is almost in two pieces my pants were torn pretty bad but I took them off and mended them, the first night we came here, mended them by the light of the fire, it was that night that the snow was about an inch deep and we could not lay down because we did not get here until first night, was not that gay? you would not thought you could have bothered with them untill morning unless you had a good fire and felt like it and not very late. and it is not very fine to change clothes out door this time of year either. I dont care as long as I am well. I guess Charlie likes it as well as any of us, if he dont say so. But I must close and cook my dinner. I just wish that you had one quarter of the wood that we burn here in a day you would not want any more this winter. I tell you Old Va is going through a course of sprouts that she wont forget this week. Father is pretty well, so he says, from your Brother Evelyn

 

[margins]

 

my foot is asleep it sleeps a darn sight better than I do I reckon. I expect we shall have a right smart dinner for I am a good deal of a cook and father has brought me a piece of mutton that his Co got on picket duty

 

Love to all of course send those pictures as soon as you get them. have photograph as I cant carry others as well.

                                                Ev

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