U.S. Barracks, Brattleboro, Dec. 18th,
1863.
Dearest Abiah,
I improve the leisure I now have in writing to you a few lines. The recruits are coming in fast. Yesterday 161 arrived. 260 have just marched from the ground for the cars. The paymaster worked all night getting the rolls signed. Just imagine 260 slow penmen signing their name 12 times each, that is equal to one man signing 3120 times. Any ordinary penman could write the names in one fourth the time. I was in the Captain’s office writing at the time they commenced, so escaped and got to bed at 9.
Charles Brooks slept with me last night. He, William Barrett, Sam Townsend and Elbridge Varnum are in barracks close to ours. I have only seen the names of Calkins Burroughs, Parker and Elias. I put them down. Perhaps, Zopher thought they would go into the 10th Regt. But a sharp shooter got hold of them and they are booked for the 3 S. S. I am now waiting for the bank rolls to commence filling them for the next detachment. They mean to get them off Monday. Charles Brooks and the boys that came with him were just one day too late to get their names on for this detachment. Wesley Allen is here yet. The detachment for the gulf will not get off for some time. Wesley has been quite sick, but is now better. He is going home on a furlough. He has got one for eight days, if I can get it signed for him. Am waiting for the captain to come back. Six is all they give. If I succeed for him I think I shall stand a good chance when I want one. If he comes he will probably get home tomorrow night. I do not have as good a chance to see people that I know as I did when I was in Mead’s office, but it is much more pleasant where I am now.
Captain bartlett is here now. He is office of the day. He says that he had rather run three Regiments than these recruits. When is Zopher coming here? If he does not want to work, he had better not come here. There is some recruiting. The recruits have a chance to change their regiments. I have just seen Gil Calkins. His courage is good yet. He says that they want nice straight fellows in the Sharp Shooters, so he thought he would go in there. I reckon he will be a little nervous. Don’t think he will expose himself much. How is Mrs. Dudley? I send her my best respects, and shall do my best to get that long furlough up when I come home. Wesley Alynn did not go when he expected to. There were so many furloughs given out, but he has gone this morning with a furlough intil the thirty first. The little rascal, after I had done all I could to get him a furlough then wanted to borrow to go home with. Well, I helped him to it. We have drawn our bounty. I had my six dollars left, so you see I do not spend much. I have made as much as I spend so far. If you want more money I will send you this, if not I will keep this. We shall be mustered for pay in a few days. I do not know when it will come. I was intending to have gone over to Hinsdale Sunday with Charley Brooks, but found that I could not go there and he could not, so I got a pass for him to go over there and stay all night; he did so and says that he had a first rate visit. Those boys were going today, but I think they will not get off until tomorrow. They did but just squeeze in, for the 11th is the last detachment. The invalid 11th has dried up. Hope they will send them where they will be of some service. I will date this. It is now Monday Dec. 21st.
Gil Calkins is right around now, a very brave fellow. You need not fear that those women that Ann wrote you about will take me captive. There are some of the most degraded creatures, and besides, the belong to the Invalid Corps. It is good sleighing here now. The weather is pretty cold, but our barracks are comfortable, sleep warm, undress too, bread and meat good, gain flesh. Some of the boys grumble, want about two pies every meal. Thank fortune that I was weaned. Want no milk nor butter, but the cheese is first rate. Have not eaten up one piece yet. Have had a letter from Jacob. He is improving. Had one from the Doctor and Catherine. They were well. Hope I shall see the Doctor here before Spring. He says that Catherine is enjoying first rate health, looks as well as she did the first night he slept with her. Well, well, my wife you’d look a great deal better if I could see her. What do you think about coming down here?
You said you made a mistake about the date of your letter. I saw it. Just thought that you meant to hurry up the time. Anyway it will soon be 1864. Do you have any sleigh rides this winter? I have a better place than I did in Mead’s office. I am at the Captain’s quarters. Have been for some days. Write for him only sometimes, when there is a press of business. The giving of the power of attorney for the $7.00 per month has been given up here, unless it is especially requested; that takes off a good deal of the work.
The Captains’s wife is here. She is a fine woman. They have one child, a fine little fellow three years old. I do not have to work hard now, but can get but little time to myself. It is a constant interruption. These new recruits have as many wants as any men you ever saw, all sorts of excuses to get furloughs. On Saturday there were 39 telegraph dispatches, giving accounts of so many deaths of kindred. The captain told he should think the cholera was prevailing, he would telegraph and see, did telegraph, and found the dispatches were fabrications. There are as many as fifty negroes here. When are the boys coming from Chareston? Have seen none of them yet. I am sorry that they do not draft. It would procure a much better class of men. I am sure that 65 drafted men are better than 100 volunteers. Tell Zopher to write me. I wish I could see you all, but the time will come by and by and then, and then.
You ask if I do not think you cross, well, you do not always write alike, but I never think you cross. I cannot always write alike. When I am attending to nothing else, I can express my true feelings, but when I am interrupted onece in two minutes the letter goes by fits and starts and you will probably find this the worst so of any one you have received. I am a good mind not to send this, but I am afraid that I shall have to let it slide. Write me often. A letter is next to seeing you, but it is far from it. OH! If I could only be at home just one day, but I will be by and by. Kiss the children for me, and accept the love of my warm heart.
Yours in love,
Charles.
