Brandy Station V. a - May the 3d 1864

Brandy Station V. a - May the 3d 1864

My dear Aunt  your kind letter of the 24th of April came to hand last night and I was very glad to hear of your wellfare. I have not time to write you a long letter for we are going to advance on the enemy tomorrow morning so my dear Aunt it is altogether likely that I shall be in a temendous fight before the close of another week and it is also likely that you will not hear from me for a good while but I request you not to be uneasy about me for I shall write to you as soon a I can after the approaching contest is over if I am so fortunate as to escape I have no fear for my personal safety but still I may fall if I do remember dear Aunt that I always remembered and loved you to the last moments of my life. give my love to uncle George and the children and accept the scincere love and best wishes of your affectionate Nephew Now dear Aunt I must close for I must prepare for tomorrows march I will now bid you good by for the present hoping that you will not fret yourself about me I will now end this scrawl but I ever remain your affectionate NephewDavid Closeto Rachel Dunbar

Dear Aunt Uncle & CousinsI hope to meet you once more on these earthly shores but if it is otherwise decreed I hope to meet you in the skies.

On the back of this sheet written with many flourishes is the following:

Brandy Station V- May the ___________ (illegable)

Mrs Rachel DunbarDunbar

Brandy Station V. a. March 23d A D 1864

Brandy Station V. a. March 23d A D 1864

My Dear Auntyour kind and most welcome letter of the 14th came to hand late this evening and I have just seated myself by my Candle to answer it. I was truely glad to hear that the majority of your loved family was well but very sorry that William is sick but I hope that he will be well again before this miserable scrawl reaches you. I believe I did not tell you in my last letter that I was well the reason of this was that I forgot to tell you the state of my health because I was so well that it never entered my mind to enlighten you on this subject so after this if I should be so careless as to forget it again be assured that I am well for when I am not well I will not fail to let you know and while I am on the health subject I will tell you that at present I am enjoying my full share of health for which I am very thankful. for it is one of the greatest blessings that we poor mortals enjoy in this world of sorrows I have not recieved any letters from Wesley for a long time although I have written to him a good while ago and recieved no answer I hope that he is well and all O. K. probably his regiment has been on the move for sometime and likely this is the reason that we have not heard from him oftener. you say that you dont wish to ask impossibilities of me but you wish me to write to you as often a I can I know dear Aunt that you are the last person that would ask any person to perform an impossible task and much less to me. I know also that sometimes I am too careless about writing to you and thus no doubt I have caused you uneasiness but my loved Aunt all such short comings in me is faults of the head but not of the heart for as long as life lasts this heart of mine shall ever treasure up thy memory and thy numberless acts of motherly kindness to me shall never be forgotten. After this I shall write to you whenever I can possibly do so. It is impossible for me to tell you how thankful I am to you for preventing Jasper from volunteering I dont mind the hardships that I have to endure but the thoughts of my dearBrother going to the army distresses me very much for he is too young small and inexperienced for soldiering. Yesterday a heavy snowstorm commenced to fall and todaythe snow lies several inches deep on the ground. The health of our Regiment is good. We have preaching every night at the Brigade Chapel by the Chaplains belonging to the various Regiments that composes our Brigade we also have prayer in our shanty every night except when we are on duty. Please excuse this bad writing for I have been snow balling so much today that my are is sore and my fingers are contrary. if I remember right I have answered all the letters that I have recieved from William. give love to Uncle George and the children and accept the love and best wishes of your affectionate NephewDavid Close To his AuntRachel Dunbar

Brandy Station Va March 2d 64

Brandy Station Va March 2d 64

My dear Auntyour kind letter of February the 6th came to hand in due time. I was truly glad to hear that so many of the family was well but very sorry to hear that you was not very well but i hope that you will be well again long before this scrawl reaches you. I recieved a letter from father on the last of February stating that Jasper was going to war I cant tell you how much this news grieved me for he is too young and small to stand soldiering but I still cling to the hope that something will transpire to prevent him from going. if he had not gone yet I do hope that Father may succeed in stopping him. a part of the army of the Potomac is across the Rapidan River trying to scare up the Johnnies, and I should not be surpprised if we should move soon. our Regiment has been on Picket guard so much of late that I have been a long time answering your letter but I hope that I have not caused you any uneasyness. The weather is cool and blustering. The health of the Regiment is improving. There is nothing strange to write about at present, give my love to the Rest of the family and accept my love and best wishes for yourself. I will now bring this short letter to a close hoping that it may find you all well please write soon and oblige your affectionate nephewDavid CloseTo Rachel Dunbar

Brandy Station Virginia Jan. the 20th 64

Brandy Station Virginia Jan. the 20th 64

My dear AuntYour kind and welcome letter of the 10th of this month came to hand last night and I was truely happy to hear that you were all well. we are still laying in camp at Brandy Station and I think that we will stay here all winter if the Johnny Rebs. stays awaywhich I hope they will for I would dislike very much to leave our comfortable log shanties while it is so cold. I am glad that Uncle George saw Uncle James Dennis it is true that I have grown very much since I came to the army but my comrades tells me that I am as _______ and _________ looking as ever (one line has become illegible due to a crease in the paper. The second word may be "young".) I recieved a letter from Wesley week before last in answer to one I wrote to him sometime before at the time of writing he was at Camp Chase and he was well and hearty and he says that he likes soldiering very well. if he only takes care of his health I have no doubt but what he will get along first rate but a soldier will never serve his term of three years if he neglets his health for disease kills more soldiers than the bullets does. Our Regiment has now been in the service 17 months and not one man has been killed but scores have died by the fell destroyer disease. the weather has been very changeable for the last week or two consquently the health of the Regiments camped around here is not improving and indeed I fear that it is getting worse. several members of our company is sick Hector Hart (I am not sure the first letter of this name is correctly copied) from our neighborhood is very low with the chronic diarrhea I fear that he will not get well again. oh it makes me feel so very sad to see my comrades sicken and die so far away from home with no Father or Mother Brothers or Sisters to sooth their pain or to cheer them in their last moments when death the king of terrors is fast approaching to part them forever from Earth and loved friends. I have not had a letter from Butchers for a long time although I have written one or two letters to them I hope they are all well.

I hear that the draft has been put off again until the first of next month think they had better give it up for a bad job. I would like very much to get home to see the friends but I guess there is no chance for me the married men gets the furloughs I believe I will have to get married before I go to war again so that I will have a chance of getting home. I think Ann Jane Butcher's (I can not be sure of the correctness of the first name just given. It looks like a three letter name, the first letter certainly is "A", but there is nothing that could be taken for a "T" at the end, or else it might be "Aunt") letter must have miscarried or else the one I sent her was for I have answered all the letters I have recieved from her but I must write her another one or else she will think hard of me for she will suppose that I have neglected to answer her letter. there is a report in the papers that the rebels are preparing to move their capital from Richmond to Columbia Georgia I do not know whether there is any truth in the report or not. I think if they dont move themselves before next summer we will be apt to move them in a hurry We have easier times this winter than we had last for we have not so much guard duty to perform. perhapse you would like to know how we pass the time well I will try to tell you we go on picket guard about once every three weeks and stay there 3 days at a timewe then return to camp and pass the balance of the time until the next picket day a sitting by the fire reading newspapers and talking about home and the war and other interesting subjects. There is six of us boys lives in my shanty let me introduce them to you Isaac Desellems, John Gilson, Thomas Russell, Alexander Grafton Mark Lewis and myself. we have prayer meeting in our house or shanty every night and once every sabbath day. This letter leaves me in the best of health (for which I am very thankful) and I hope that in arriving at its destination that it may find you all enjoying the same good health tell William to write to me soon I believe I wrote to him last give my love to Uncle George and the children and accept my love and best wishes for yourself please write whenever you can and direct as before please excuse all mistakes and bad writing for I have written in haste I will now close but I will ever remain your affectionate Nephew David CloseTo his dear Aunt Rachel Dunbar

Camp in New York city August the 24th A D 1863

Camp in New York city August the 24th A D 1863

My dear Aunt andUncleafter a long silence I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am still well and I hope that this letter may find you all enjoying good health. the last letter that I wrote to you was as near as I can remember about the middle of June we had a fight at Martinsburg soon afterward and I never recieved an answer to my letter. I suppose you have heard the particulars of the Martinsburg fight therefore I will not say much about it now except that 30,000 rebels attacked 1,500 of us and of course we could not hold out long against so many of the enemy and the consequence was that we had to retreat to Harpers Ferry but before we did retreat the enemy threw about 200 shells at us which came screaming over our heads some bursting and scattering the pieces all around others would strike the ground and scatter the earth in every direction, we have been moving almost constantly since we left Martinsburg but I have no time nor space to tell you the half that I would like to suffice it to say that we have had very hard marching and another fight at Manasses gap we arrived at this city on the 22d of this month on the steam ship Merrimac. We are here for the pupose of enforcing the draft. but I hope that there will be no disurbance I have got but very few letters for a long time and this I dont like for I am never well satisfied unless I can get to hear from my Dear relatives very often, but I think we will stayhere sometime and if we do we can get our mail regularily We have a nice camp here. The health of our regiment is tolerable good at present. I will soon have to bring this letter to an end but before I do let me tell you Dear Uncle an Aunt that I want you all to write to me often for nothing gives me so much pleasure as to recieve letters from my friends at home direct your letters to New York city Co. D 126th Rgt O. V. I. in care of capt Martin no more now but I will ever remain your affectionate Nephew David Close to George and Rachel DunbarNew York cityMr. David Close

Camp McCook Cumberland Maryland, December the 4th A D 1862

Camp McCook Cumberland Maryland, December the 4th A D 1862

Mrs. Rachel Dunbar beloved Aunt.It is with the greatest pleasure that I sieze the present opportunity of informing you how I am prospering I am well at this time and I sincerely hope that these few lines may find you and your family enjoying the same great blessing we are still here at Cumberland and I expect we will winter here but I wish we would go further south where it is warmer But although we are situated among the mountains and are as far north as it is in ohio we havehad no cold weather worth mentioning we have had only two snows yet and they dident last any length of time Our tents turn rain first rate and they have kept us very comforable this far we have also plenty of good warm clothing and we have good substantial food to eat. we have had no marching to do on foot yet so you see dear aunt we have had pretty easy times for soldiers we have prayer meeting every night in the church tents our chaplain allways has prayer when we are all out on dress parade the whole regiment is formed into a hollow square the chaplain stands in the middle so you see the whole Regiment can hear all he says I recieved your letter yesterday morning and oh dear aunt you have no idea how glad I was to hear from you and to recieve your good and kind councils I want you to write me a great manny such letters the will allways do me good and they cause my mind to wander back to the happy days of my early childhood and they make me think of you and Aunt mary those were happy days when I and my dear brother Jasper was all sundered far by distance and Providence only knows whether we shall ever meet again but we must not be despondent for I have a very good chance of returning if I keep my health I dread sickness worse than I do the Secesh bullets. but I will try and take good care of myself and I want you to pray for me for the prayers of the righteous availeth much I was glad to hear that you got my picture. I received a letter from you beside this last one It was an execellent letter I also wrote you another letter before the one that I went my picture in. Tell William and Wesley 1 to write to me I expect thay will say that i must write first but tell them I have so manny letters to write that i cant possibly write to all my friends but if they write to me i will answer them without delay i hope that Joseph is getting well of the Diptheria i dread to hear of that disease but i must close for i have no time to write at present But remain your affectionate nephew David Close to his dear aunt Rachel Dunbar. I send my best Respects to Uncle George and the Children

Good By Aunt David Close

Camp near Brandy Station Virginia

Camp near Brandy Station Virginia

December the 30th 1863Dear Uncle and AuntI take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines which leaves me in the best of health and in fine spirits and I hope that they will find you all well your kind and welcome letter came to hand a short time ago after being on the road a long time. I was very glad to hear that you were all well I returned to the Regiment on the 7th of this month I wrote Wesley a letter a few days ago and I give him my poor advice. the year 1863 is now almost gone and I hope that the coming year will see the close of this unhappy war I hope you all had a happy Chistmas and I wish you a happy New Years The health of our Regiment is tolerable good Uncle James Dennis is home on a furlough I hope you will see him for he could tell you all about camp life better than I can by writing I have nothing strange to write about therefore my letter will have to be short give my love to the children write soon I am much obliged to you for the postage stamps you sent me please excuse all mistakes and bad writing for I have written in haste. I will now close for this time but I will ever remain yours truly &c &xDavid CloseTo his dear Uncle and Aunt George & Rachel DunbarDirect to Washington city D C co. D 126th Ohio 3rd A. D.

(The above address was then copied again at the bottom of the page with many laborious flourishes) - "Washington City D C Co D 126th Ohio A C "- (and on the back of the sheet was scrolled in yet a different scroll): Brandy Station Virginia

Cumberland Maryland November the 4th A. D. 1862

Cumberland Maryland November the 4th A. D. 1862

Dear Aunt and UncleIt is with the Greatest Sense of pleasure that I seat myself in my crowded tent among my mischievous comrades to inform you where and how I am. Our regiment is encamped near cumberland, Maryland in Alleghany County on the headwaters of the Potomac River the Potomac River is you know the scene of some of the Bloodiest Battles which you have read about I suppose dear aunt you know several of the boys with us but still i must inform you that We have a remarkable civil and Religious company There is scarcely any wicked or profane persons among us. We can go to church every Sunday for our chaplain always preaches two sermons on that day we have also prayer meeting every night in our tents I attend them regular and I think that they tend to keep a young man from falling into bad company. and i think it is a providencial circumstance that I enlisted in this company for I hear that there is a desperate sight of wickedness in the very regiments that i came so near enlisting in. I have heard of the death of several of my acquaintences who belonged to the army and it allways makes me feel like trying to do theduty of a Christian for i am no better than my young friends who have fell on the field of battle and the solemn thought arises in my mind althoug i am now well and healthy how soon might I be numbered with them. And now dear aunt i must soon close but befor i do i want to tell you to write to me often for every letter that i can get from you will be a great pleasure to me it will make me think of old times when you and aunt Polly was at home with us I remember how kind you used to be to me when i was nothing but a small boy and i now see what trouble i was to you. I will now bring my letter to a close. I would have written to you long ago if i had known how to direct your letters i hope you will write to me sometimes without a letter from me for i cant write often to all my friends tell William and Wesley to write to meNo more at presentBut remain your affectionate nephew David Close to his aunt and uncle Rachel and George Dunbar. Direct your letter to Cumberland Maryland in care of capt Paisley 126 Regiment O V I Carroll

Martinsburg V. A. February the 4th A. D 1863

Martinsburg V. A. February the 4th A. D 1863

Mrs Rachel DunbarBeloved and ever remembered Aunt it is with pleasure that I avail myself of the present opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that i am well at present. and i sencerely hope that these few lines may find you and your dear family the happy possessors of good health I wrote you a letter five of six weeks ago and have looked anxiously for an answer ever since but i have recieved none yet i fear my letter did not reach you. as you will see by the heading of this letter we are sill at Martinsburg berkley county V A where we have been stationed for several weeks the weather is colder to day than it has been this winter the snow last week fell to a depth of 14 of 16 inches which is still laying on and although the weather is severe for this part of the country it is not to be compared to what I have seen in Ohio we are very comfortably clothed and have good warm tents to stay in so you see we dont suffer any with the cold the health of our regiment is very much on the decline we have had about two deaths a week since we came here and by the present appearances i fear there is several sick persons in the hospitals who will not live long the number of persons in the hospitals is about 80 and about 150 more who are unfit for duty the principal diseases are typhoid fever the measles and some few cases of small pox my health was never so good as it is at present for which i am very thankful for a person has a very poor chance when he gets sick here i want you to write ma a letter as soon as you get this for dear aunt i want to hear from you very bad My best respects to uncle George and the rest of the family no more at present for my ink is pale my pen is bad my hand is tired and supper is ready no more now but ever remain your affectionate nephew David CloseDavid Close high private

Martinsburg Va March the 15th A D 1863

Martinsburg Va March the 15th A D 1863

Mrs Rachel Dunbar beloved Aunt it is with pleasure that i take my pen in hand to inform you how i am prospering i am sorry to have to tell you that i have not been very well for some three or four days but i think i will be fit for duty in a few days i recieved your (two words illegible) welcome letter last week and oh aunt i was very glad to hear that you and your dear family was well with the exception of the children having the whooping cough this i was sorry to hear but i sincerely hope that they will soon be well and hearty once more the weather this week has been very cold and wintery the health of our regiment is very poor at present but i think it will improve when warm weather comes i wish this cruel war was over and all the rebels hung higher than haman this is not a very amiable wish but i cant help it when i think of the precious lives it has cost and is still costing. This week we burried one of our messmates he was sick only about (one or two illegible words) with the typhoid fever He was a very stout young man and about 20 years of age his name was Samuel F. McLain i was detailed as an escort to help burry him with military honor and oh dear aunt it was the most solmn funeral that i was ever at the musicans went before the amulance came next with the corpse the escorts came next withtheir arms reversed and the rest of the company followed while the band played the dead march the escort fired three times over his grave and then poor Samuel was left alone in his lowly resting place there to lie till the resurrection morning when god shall bid his dust arise, and enter its eternal rest, and now dear aunt i want to tell you before i close that i often think of you and uncle George and the children and would like to see you all once more but if god has decreed that we shall never meet again on earth remember dear Aunt that i shall ever remember you as long as life and reason remains i dont want you to be uneasy about me for i have only a bad cold and i am taking good care of myself and i think i shall soon be well. i believe i have written all the news and therefore i shall have to close for the present but Remain your affectionate nephew until death David Close to his dear auntRachel Dunbar

Martinsburg Va. April the first A D 1863

Martinsburg Va. April the first A D 1863

Mr. William Dunbardear Cousin, it is with pleasure that i take my pen in hand to inform you how i amprospering i am well and hearty at present and i sincerely hope that these few imperfect lines may find you and the rest of the family enjoying good health We are still at Martinsburg and i expect if nothing happen we will stay here for sometime the weather has been very disagreeable for soldiering for the last month but i hope it will soon get warm for i am tired of winter and the mud, there is no other troops here except this regiment and therefore we have to go on guard every other day. the health of our Regiment i am happy to say is improving very fast i wrote a letter to aunt Rachel at the time i wrote i wasent very well but i got well in a couple of days afterwards i only had a bad cold i was very sorry that i told aunt that i was sick for i know that she would be uneasy about me but you can now tell her that i am enjoying the best of health. i hope you are getting along first rate on the old farm i should like very much to see you and Wesley and the rest of the family how i would like to get home awhile this summer and have a few days to pass with you but this cant be at present but i hope the war will be over next summer and then all the soldiers can return to their homes and kind friends they have left behind. i believe i have written all the news i shall have to close for the present but ever remain your true friend David Close to his cousin William Dunbar give my best respects and love to Uncle and Aunt and Wesley and the childrenDavid Close of company D 126th Regiment O V I

I have wandered far from home, far away from loved ones dear Yes far away from them i roam i wish that they were here but they cannot come to me no to them i must return if i would their faces see those for whom my heart doth yearn My home is in the distant west on the hills both deep and wild where i roved when a child.

New Creek Station Hamshire County V. a. May the 20th A D 1863

New Creek Station Hamshire County V. a. May the 20th A D 1863

Dear AuntI once more take my pen in hand to inform you that I am still well and I sincerely hope that this short letter may find you and the rest of your dear family also enjoying good health We left Martinsburg nearly four weeks ago and came to this place but we dident stay here long when we first came here but left the next day and dident Return for several days while we were gone we had some very hard marching to do but I haven't time to tell you the particulars of our wanderings suffice it to say that the task was a very hard one and lots of the boys give out but I stood it first rate I recieved your kind and welcome letter while we were at Greenland gap and dear Aunt I was very glad to hear from you for it always cheers me to hear from you for although separated from you by manny long miles when I recieve a letter from you it appears like talking to you I recieved Williams letter a few days ago I will answer it soon I have no time to write much more at present for we are going to leave here tomorrow I dont know where we are going to direct your letters to Martinsburg and I will get them No more at present but ever remain your affectionate Nephew David Close to Rachel give my love and best to DunbarRespects to the family

New York city Nov. 8th 1863

New York city Nov. 8th 1863

My dear AuntIt is with the greatest pleasure that I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines to inform you that my health is good and I sincerely hope that this short letter may find you and your dear family enjoying good health. your kind and ever welcome letter of the 2nd of November came to hand on the 5th and I was very glad to hear that you was all well for it had been a long time since I had recieved any letters from you but I knew that my letters must have miscarried or else you would have written to me oftener but I never thought for an instant that you was neglecting to write to me for I know your love for me too well dearest Aunt to suppose that you was forgetting to write to me. I am still at this hospital as you will see by the date of my letter but I cant say how long I will remain for I am liable to be sent away at any time but wherever I go I will ever remember you dear Aunt and write to you whenever I can. You say that I have lost a worthy sister and true friend by the death of my sister Louisa for my part I can say that I feel that I have met with an irreparable loss by her death but I am comforted by knowing that she died the death of the Righteous and henceforth there is laid up for her a crown of glory which Christ the righteous judge has given her forever and forever. I know that Father and Mother took it very hard although they never complained or grieved to me in any of their letters. Jasper and William sent me their likenesses last week and I am as proud of them as I can be for they look just like them and I suppose you will think I am rather a partial judge but still I cant help giving in my decision concerning them and that is that they are the prettiest pictures that I ever seen. The weather is getting very cold and every thing begins to look lone and desolate like winter. give my love to Uncle George and the children and accept my love and best wishes for yourself tell William that he must not forget to write to me I knew that Father was sick shortly after he was attacked with the eresypelas (probably meaning erysipelas) and oh how I wished to go home and see him and comfort him during his illness for he has proved the kindest and best of Fathers to me and oh I feel that I owe him everthing that a child can owe a kind and affectionate Parent. I believe I have nothing more to write about at present and therefore I will bring my letter to an end for this time but I will ever remain your effectionate nephewDavid Closeto his Dear Aunt Rachel Dunbar

St Joseph Hospital New York City Oct. 6th -63

St Joseph Hospital New York City Oct. 6th -63

My dear AuntI take the present oppportunity of informing you that my health has got good again and I sincerely hope that these few lines may find you and your dear family enjoying good health I recieved your kind and ever welcome letter of the 7th of September a few days ago this is the only one I have recieved from you for months although I have written three to you and uncle and William but I expect you did not get all of them. I cant tell you dear Aunt how glad I was to hear from you but I was exceedingly sorry to hear that you was not well but I hope that ere this reaches you that your health may be restored to you again. as I informed William in his letter my disease when I was first brought here was Chronic diarrhea but I am well of it now but I have not yet gained my usual strength. we are well provided here with everything necessary for our comfort and we can get passes when we want them to go to the city or any place we please but still I sometimes feel very lonesome and then I am sure to think of you and the rest of the dear friends and long to see you all once more.I recieved a letter from Father on the 3d of this month and it brought me the unexpected and sorrowful news of the death of my dear Sister Louisa I was not expecting this mournful news for had recieved a letter from home a few days before shedied stating that she was better and that the doctor now had hopes of her recovery. but alas how very uncertain is human life truly mortal life is but a shadow that appeareth for a little while and then vanishes forever but there is consolation in knowing that the soul will not thus perish. you asked me in your letter if I had a bible I have not got one but I have a testament that Louisa give me when I started to the army and a hymn book that Aunt Eliza Dennis give me at the same time you would hardly believe what a value I place in these two small Books I have carried them in my knapsack on many a long weary march when I had thrown nearly every thing else away to lighten my load. but I allways cling to them in every difficulty I shall soon have to bring my letter to a close but before I do let me request you to write whenever you can for your letters allways cheers and comforts me. if you can send me a few postage stamps you will greatly oblige me for there is no telling when I will get my pay and therefore I will have to be very saving of my change If I could send them away from here without stamps I would do so and let you pay the postage at the office but they will not start a letter from here without a stamp like they will in the Regiment give my love to Uncle George and the children and accept my love and best wishes for yourself no more now but I will ever remain your affectionate NephewDavid Close to Rachel Dunbar

Parole Camp Annapolis MD

Parole Camp, Annapolis, MD February 8, 1863

Editor Journal: After wandering over the bounds of this camp to the Bay Shore and back again this beautiful Sabbath day, to retire to my tent with my fellow comrades, I feel a degree of languor that almost subsides into a stupidity and carelessness which is not common but wrong for a soldier. How can we be composed , how can we divest ourselves of the great melancholy that pervades us.—The last day of the year 1862 hundreds of us were compelled to surrender as prisoners of war before Murfreesboro, Tenn. As fast as possible we were paroled, placed in cars upon the railroad for Chattanooga and informed by the Confederate officers having us in charge that our final destination was Vicksburg, Miss. The railroad communication was so damaged that our transportation was not only very expensive, but quite circuitous. Some of the points we made were Atlanta, Georgia, through North Carolina, Montgomery Alabama, to the State of Florida, to a city wearing the name of Pollard. Here an officer in charge received a dispatch from the authorities to return to Richmond, Va., which was done, and in an almost starving and naked condition we were introduced to our lodgings in Richmond, to-wit: Castle Thunder, on the 18th of January. After two weeks of a stay and short rations of bread and soup we were stripped of the remnant of our little extras, placed on cars, taken to City Point on board the steamers New York and Express and, by way of Fortress Monroe, we arrived at this old city.

The weather has been very unfavorable for remaining without shelter. But so many of us have been thrown here at one time that we have been compelled to remain out of doors, exposed to snow storms, pelting rains, and piercing winds, without clothes to keep us warm; but it was a military necessity and was complied with. But fortune and the government have at last favored us. It is not only amusing but interesting to see the boys this warm, pleasant day passing about completely enveloped in new suits who, three days since, were passing around or shivering about the poor camp fires in tatters and rags dodging snow and rain.

Various are the private letters and petitions that have been directed to Governor Morton for his aid, assistance and influence for our removal to Camp Morton. We are all soldiers in the Army of the Cumberland. We have long undergone the privations incident to the army almost without a murmur. Unfortunately for a while we are compelled to lay down our arms, and why not let us be in our own State during the interval. We are ready and willing at any time for an exchange that will return us again to our regiments, but as with the voice of one man we cry for home (several hundred of us); if we fail in this, as we all now fully contemplate we will not, I fear it may result in a dissatisfaction among and with us. None doubt but that we will all soon seen Indianapolis; all are loud in the praise of our noble Governor, who has already won our favor by his kindness manifested towards Indiana soldiers, and for his patriotism in the cause in which we are engaged and have left our homes and risked our lives to sustain.

There are thousands of troops here from every loyal or half loyal State in the Union; some very hard boys and some very good.—There is plenty of everything to sell to satisfy the cravings of appetite and clothing to decorate the bodies of us soldiers, and very cheap; but very unfortunately the boys are out of money, and we are enjoying ourselves entirely at Uncle Sam’s expense. It is quite cheap living. We have some sickness among us, and rumors of smallpox among us brought from Richmond.

Yours truly,Masten Dashiel