Guard House, April 17th, 1864.
Dearest Abiah,-
The guard house is my place until tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock. That is the time we change guard now. I have been pretty bad off for some ten days with boils. I was a little better for one day, that was my turn on guard, so I have not missed any duty and have not been on the sick list. I did not want the doctor hold of my boils. I had the management of them myself. I hope that I have had the last one. I did go to the Doctor sometime since and told him I wanted him to tell me whether I had the itch or not. He said that he thought that it was. He says that most of the men in the first company had it. He gave me some sulphur ointment and advised me to get some yellow dock. I have not taken any yet. I had bought a bottle of sar saparilla but I have not taken it up yet. I think that it is bad for the stomach. I cannot take it all the time anyhow, but have used the ointment, and it tells. The doctor says, take yellow dock, put the ointment on at night anf wash with saleratus water. I have not used the latter for the want of the material and an opportunity to use it. Tomorrow when I get off guard, I mean to wash up and go through another course of sulphur and saleratus. I expect to have a place by myself after Monday, have one of the small barracks and sleep there alone. I am very glad of that. I am so sick of the barracks, the card playing and vulgar language. My health has been good, with the exception I have mentioned, though I am somewhat bilious, as usual, in the Spring.
We shall probably not be paid until the next pay day and then be paid for four months. There is no prospect of our leaving here for the present. There were four men sent to the front when I went out, and 6 more, 3 from each company are going tomorrow or Tuesday. Some are sent at their own request and some are sent for misconduct. There has been an immense amount of sugar made in this section of country, they still making. There was a great deal made the first of last week. Many people here have been making sugar since February. The last heavy fall of snow has mostly disappeared here but the hills back from the river in New Hampshire and Vermont are still white. Grass has not started yet. I suppose Fred has gone to Springfield. I have not seen Susan since I was over there. I have seen Fred several times. How pleasant it would be if you could go down and see her this summer. I shall not come home until I get some money. Shall try to go then. I have been homesick enough for a few days back. Could do nothing but lie on back and think. I have not yet written to Carpenter about a house at the West Village but shall this week. Hope that I can so time it that I can be there to help you move. I do not like East Charleston much and then to live in a house with such an ignorant, fractious thing as you have in the other end of the house is too bad, and makes me feel unpleasant and adds to my homesickness. I think that it would be better to go to Derby than to remain in the East Village, but I think that there is a house somewhere in West Charleston, and I know that I should feel more at home there than at Derby and I think you would, besides I think it would be better for the boys, and that is quite a consideration. I feel extremely anxious that they should have a good chance to attend school and make all the progress they can, as after I get home they may not have the chance that they will have now and I want them all to have a chance to attend Sabbath School and there are few places where the Sabbath School exercises are more interesting than at West Charleston.
We do not drill any here now, except what we get by going on guard and dress parade. I have not studied any of consequence for 4 weeks but I have not given it us, but there has been so much to do. It has been dig, dig, and scratch, scratch, scratch. We are now cleaning our old barracks and white washing, having moved into other quarters intend getting back to the old quarters Tuesday, or the company rather, I am not going
and there is police and fatigue enough to last a long time yet. The water works are to be fixed, the water now does not come within 30 rods of the barracks. It is the intention to bring it in and then through them all. The corporals do not have to work. The men are divided into squads and the corporals take charge of them, and 40 men do not do more work that 10 ought to, but I hope to be relieved from that duty. I should not care anything about it, if it were not for extending my acquaintance with Casey. That must be made perfect and I must have a commission if this war lasts. I have had some thought of going to Philadelphia to attend the free military school there for 30 or 35 days. Friday, Capt. Drew sent for me to go and see him. I went over. He questioned me some, and then advised me no to go to the school. Thinks tht with his help I can fit for examination here full well here as there. There must be some expense attending the Philadelphia school, and there are a great many upstart citizens that go to Philadelphia and they find but little mercy before the Casey Board.
Have you heard of the Massacre at Fort Pillow? It made me feel full as much fight as the attack on Fort Sumter. That was an affair that must make every honest man’s blood boil. I long to get at the traitorous horde, but on the whole I think that the prospect looks good for the success of our army. I do hope and trust that this year will see the close of this war, for I want to make sugar next Spring. What a happy time there will be as we all go marching home, have a discharge in the pocket that will not expire in 7 or 10 days, then there will be no alloy in the happiness of meeting, that we must part so soon again, if it were not for being so far from you I should wish to go to the front on Tuesday, but as it is, I do not wish to go there at $13. per month. Give me pay enough to feel that you will be made comfortable and I will risk it. I have heard nothing from that $7.00 per month that Charleston were to pay me. Never expected to have it from them. There are but few patriots in Charleston, but perhaps, there is too much of as large a proportion there as anywhere, but there is too much of the feeling expressed in the prayer of the old man “Lord bless me an my wife, my son John and his wife, we four and no more”. That is the patriotism of too many.
Kiss all the children for me. Tell them to be good children. I shall be home by and by to see them. How much I wish to see Arthur and them all. I say Arthur for I have not seen him. Well, Mary Ann speaks of him as so cunning and Zopher last winter. Now, Abiah keep good heart. My heart longs to be with you, but I do not wish to come empty handed. It is now nine o’clock and I must take my blankets and lie down on a bench by the stove if I can find an empty space, but while I have been writing the empty places have been filling up, perhaps I have to wait until the next Relief is posted, then there will be some gsaps made. The other corporal posts the guards until 2 o’clock, then I take it until guard mount then get a pass and go where I have a mind to until 3 o’clock P.M. Guess I shall not travel far tomorrow. Well, I shall finish this at the beginning. Write as often as you can, for you cannot realize now much satisfaction I get from your letters.
Yours in affection,
Charles.
