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Draft Rendezvous.

Rikers Island.

Dec. 7th /63

Dear Uncle

I promised to write to you as soon as I reached the Army again, but as I see no signs of our leaveing here this winter, I thought I would send you a few lines from the Island. They may not be so interesting as news from the Front would be, as we have but very little excitement of any kind. Sometimes a few Conscripts gets dissatisfied with Uncle Sam, And suceed in getting off the Island. Then we have to hunt them up. That is about the only change we have from our usual round of Guard duty. They have made this a general rendezvous for volunteers and Conscripts, And now they all have to pass through our hands before they get to the Army. We receive about One hundred daily. The greater part are volunteers from New York and Brooklyn City's The large bountys they receive is bringing them out pretty fast. If they keep it up there will be no danger of another draft in New York. The Army of the potomac has again been forced to take the back track through Some blunder of the War Department.

It is my opinion that if the war could be settled by the takeing of "Richmond". The best thing they can do is to put Genl. Halleck and his Military reputation One Side, And give the Command of the Army to General McClellan, with power to make his plans, And carry them out, without the interference of that big bugbear the "War department". There would soon be an end to the war. Perhaps General Meade or Sedgewick Or Any other Genl. might do as well as McClellan if the reins were not held so tight by the War department. But no man can do anything with an Army That has a Crazy fanatic to Control it. Genl. Halleck has Staked his Military reputation (whatever that is) that richmond can be taken by the overland route. He has tried it four times, And the experiments have cost the country thousands of valuable lives, besides an immense amount of treasure. And when they start for it again it will have to be from where we began three years ago. I wonder if his thick head is convinced yet If not some of his Soldiers would be glad of the chance to help convince him. I have a very bad cold and my eyes is swelled so I can hardly See. So you must excuse my writing and the Shortness of my letter. I would write more but my eyes trouble me so that I cannot see my pen half the time. Give my Love to Hannah and Charlette and all the folks.

I remain Your Affectionate Nephew

Andrew J Weeks

1st Sergt. 10th Battalion NYC

Rikers Island