150 Years Ago (1863 10/29)

Brattleboro, Oct. 29^th, 1863

Dear Abiah, –

I wrote to you last Saturday, and promised in that to write you Monday but I did not keep my promise. I could not get a chance to write. I wrote to Mr. Cole, but I had to write with a pencil, but today I have a chance and mean to improve it. I went to Hinsdale Sunday found Mary Ann better but Susan’s little girl very sick. Poor little thing she suffered very much. She died Sunday night about 6 o’clock. Mr. Ballard came over Monday and told me yesterday. I got a pass and went to the funeral. It was at the house at 10 o’clock. I got leave to stop until after dress parade. I staid until evening. Fred came and brought me over to the Camp. I like him very much. He is a quiet, social intelligent man. he is heartily sick of farming. Is determined to sell his farm. He now thinks of getting some business near home where he can go home Saturday nights.

When I came back Mrs. Newcomb had been on the ground and had called to see me. The orderly had a pass made out for amd approved by Capt. Brannon to go to town, so I went down. It was so late that Mrs. Newcomb had gone to her room, so I did not see her. Alba Warren went to Boston Monday as guard for some conscripts, came back Tuesday night, he is as steady as a clock here. I do not know how my writing will look, as the boys have got a fiddle and are dancing, and those old boots come down with a will, but I am determined to write anyhow. You ask me if I want any money. I shall get along; a few days since there were some men detailed from Co. A to go to Washington to guard some deserters and they had no money (I tell you that is a pretty scarce article in this camp) and I lent them all that I had, so now I have not a cent but some postage stamps and I have used them almost up, but pay day will soon come. I want nothing but tobacco and I must be temperate in the use of that, that is the reason that I have not sent Mary the photograph. We are to be mustered for pay next Saturday and shall probably be paid off by the
10^th of next month. Now about shirts. I want a pair. How is the best way to buy them here, ready made or get some flannel and have them made at home? I want blue ones all wool, costs five or six dollars per pair, then I want Curt Cobb to make me a pair of boots. I shall have to have them soon but shall stick to the shoes
as long as I can, then if I cannot draw a pair I shall have to buy a pair, as mine are too dirty to go to Church, if I had another I could get these washed and my dress coat is two sizes too large. Of the company clothing there was not one large enough for me. Had to draw a small one and swap with the Lieut. at the recruiting office and his
small ones were all drawn and thought it was easier, making a large one small than a small one large. I must get it fixed over. I wish that my chestnuts were up there. The children would enjoy them so much. I am going to get a few walnuts, and if by no other chance offers I shall send them by express, for I have picked them myself by
odd jobs and have been thinking of the children and home all the time and they are worth a great deal more than any that I could buy. The weather here is very pleasant. It was pretty cold Saturday and Sunday night, but I paced it out pretty well. It is a grand time to think of home in the night, when all around is still. Do you know when I am on guard I am with you then all the time. Sometimes the hours pass away so quickly that I scarce aware of the flight of time.

Sometimes I fell that I cannot wait until Spring before i get a furlough. I do not know as I shall wait as long as spring. Now about that house, I know not what to say. I think that the best way is to buy the land of Ruiter and move the house, but I fear that it is too late in the season to do it and I do not know what it could be done for and it certainly would be too late before I could determine. Mr, Cole wrote me that Uncle Porter thought it would be best to move in with Barney Clark’s folks and wait until Spring. Perhaps it would be, but I leave that with you and Mr. Cole. I think there is not much doubt that we shall remain through the winter. The draft is not closed up yet and the next is to come off. Tell the boys to hurry up or we shall have the fun of guarding them to Long Island. How do they take the new proclamation volunteer or be drafted? The draft gets the best man, much the best. Well, time will determine whether there is any patriotism left in Vermont or not. If there is not enough to fill up the quota by volunteering, I am the one that would like to see the cowards drafted. I think that they will make pretty good soldiers if they once get into it. Warren saw Dan Skinner, Petrie, Morse, and Read Wheeler on the Island. They were expecting to start for the front Tuesday. The old fiddle has stopped and so must I for the present. Tell Loella that we get tea yet but it is rather poor. There are soldiers coming on to the hospital from the front often. I should not be surprised to see Jacob here. Hope he will come. he is not fit to be a soldier nor never was. I often think of him when I sit down to eat a piece of beef all fat, sometimes loose fat, a cup of coffee and a piece of bread. It is good for me, but it would be hard for him. When I get lean beef I swap it for fat. Today we had rice and sugar for dinner. Alba Warren sat next to me and we managed to steal a plate full and divide it between us and eat it up. Had a little sugar on our bread. Well, I have run on pretty well. I will write again soon. How is it that my letters are so long on the road. I want to write to Uncle Porter, but I cannot get time.

Yours in love and affection,

Charles Blake.