.MzUxNg.NTA1Nw
Washington D.C. Dec 2d
Dear Brother I have just discovered my mistake . Instead of sending you 3 of my Photographs as I intended I have sent you something else but I dont know what. I dont feel like writeing much this morning as I am just off guard but I want to rectify my mistake as soon as possible. I feel very sorry that I had made such a mistake for I am afraid you will be unable to understand my letter and more over as I had not informed you that I had been to the city. I was inhope they would be something of a
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surprise to you But you will understand it now. In my haste to finish my letter last Saturday [an?] before Roll call I supposed I enclosed an envelope containing a letter instead of one containing the Pictures. Now a bit of news and will close (Perhaps it will not prove correct but I think it will). We are
our
informed that the[crossed out] Reg is to be set at building Barracks a short distance from where we now are for our accomodation this winter. My health is good, Eyes a little bad today because I didnt sleep last night but the medicine helps them. I shall give you an account of my adventures at W soon. We had a very little snow last week. Yours Truly Rufus
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Dec 8th
Washington D.C. Sunday
Dear Father I Recd your letter last Tuesday and am very much obliged to you for writeing me such a good long one. The Papers I didnt receive until yesterday and today (just now) I have finished reading a few lines from you and Henry. I narrowly escape being on guard today. It is all the leisure day we have and only half an one at that as inspection usualy occupies most of the forenoon. Some that were on guard with me last Sunday complained to the Capt that it was too bad to stand guard two Sundays in succession so he
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the guard
detailed ^ for tomorrow to take our places. I am very glad of the change though it was none of my getting up for it is a very pleasant day the warmest I think I ever knew in Dec. After inspection I took my Towel and clean clothes and went to the Brook and had a good wash and feel very much better. I dont know how late in the winter I can continue to bathe in the Brook but I have been favoured with a pleasant day once in two weeks during the last 2 months. The Blue Birds were singing this morning the same old tune they singed at home and if I had been there I should have thought it the last of may. But we have all kinds of weather here
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We had not had snow but once and then but
so
very little but it was ^ cold a few nights since that the water froze in our canteens hanging in our tents but we slept warm. We had got comforters enough to keep us warm even if the weather should be a greatdeal colder than we have yet had. I will tell you some time how we make our Beds. We have got 4 comforters. Nat Noyes sent 2 to Luke and Jacob. I want to write a few words about my visit to the city. I saw wonders. O I told you that before. Well after getting my Pictures taken my first visit was to the Capital. Well what can I tell you of a building which covers over
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3 and 1/2 Acrs with only the space of one short hour to see it. I visited but a small portion of the building althoug I tarried but a short time in any room except the one which contained pictures representing scenes of the revolution. they were splendid that is all I can tell you. I saw from the gallery the hall of the Repps that is a pretty room the seats are arranged in 1/2 circles in front of the speakers desk and covered with green velvet. I didnt see the Senate chamber. the door to the mane entrance was locked. I could have seen it if I had had time to have looked for another way. it is said to be very much prettier than the Repps. I find that I had a very limited conseption of things before I [s...?]. My next and last visit was to the
[A page appears to be missing here]
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had a long story to tell you. My health is good and I am [accumilating?] much [grease?] very fast [?] I was at the city in the P office. I weighed 147 1/2 last Thursday. I weighted at 2 places first time at quarter masters 151 being a little frightened at my weight there. I went over to Brightwood store and I found the exertion of the disag reement in the scales cost me 1/4 of a pound. I am going to send you the 2 rem aining Photographs. (I have sent one to Ruth) keep the Best one and dispose of the other as you think best Yours Turly Rufus
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Dear Mother I want to tell you not to attempt to write to me when you dont feel able to as much as I love to receive letters from you. I had much rather think that you are resting. Only write when you can with ease. I shall write to you again soon
Yours Affectionaly Rufus
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Washington D.C Tues Dec 17
Dear Brother I am going to try to write you a few lines this evening although I have nothing in mind just now that seems to me will be new to you as I suppose you will have the pleasure of reading the letter which I sent to Edwin last Sunday. My 24 hours of guard duty expired this morning at 9 o clock. The weather was very fine especialy last night. It was vey calm and mild and not a cloud during the whole night to hide the Moon from my view. Did you notice the Eclips. I think you did not. you should rise early if you want to see the wonders of nature. I think it commenced a little after 2. As I was on the first relief my last was from 3 to 5 so i had an opportunity to watch its progress but I will
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not make a long story of that as I suppose you can get a more correct account of it from the old farmers Almanack than I can give you. I dont suppose if I had been comfortably in Bed I should have taken the trouble to rise for the sake of seeing it but when the Seargeant calls out fall in first relief and it is a Guard House offence to be missing about that time it is well enough to have something of that kind to while away the time. We have 7 Tents for the guard each of which will comfortably accomodate but 4 men and 3 of these are usualy filled with prisoners so you can emagine what kind of accomodations we guards have at night when we are not on the watch. When I tell you that the whole guard numbers 57 men and but 1/3 of them are on duty at a time and the other 2 parts are not
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allowed to go farther than speaking distance from these tents day nor night without special [Peif?] from the Seargeant of the guard and there can be but 2 absent at a time and but a short time at that excepting as each relief are sent to their meals as near the proper time as circumstances will admit. The 3 last times that I have been on guard before last night I have not attempted to sleep even if there was room in the tents. I dont like to pile in with all sorts in such close quarters. We always have a good fire near the tents where on a cold night not less than 1/2 a cord of wood is consumed but this does not always add much to our comfort for when the wind blows hard we have plenty of smoke on one side and cold on the other. When I was at home reading of Soldiers and camp firs none of these discomfort ures ever occured to my mind. But
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this is not very sencible in me to be enumerating these petty hardships when the only effect will be to add more to your anxiety for me. I am inhopes that we shall soon be provided with better quarters when we are on guard. Last night Charlie Recd and I found better our suttler has put up a new building very near the guard tents which is not quite compleated so Charlie and I got consent of the Seargeant to make our Bed there and the old comforter and my wollen blanket and an equal amount with which he was provided made us a comfortable bed which we occupied from 11 until 3. I am never troubled about going to sleep 5 minutes is usualy enough to send me off the to land of dreams after I had put myself in a sleeping position. I usualy spend the remainder of the forenoon after being relieved as I have today in sleeping. I can
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then make my bed in my oun tent and am not subject to any duty again until after Dinner. We had been at work this afternoon on our Barracks. we are not makeing very great progress on them but I am not in much of a hurry as I am very comfortable in the old tent. I must stop now for tonight for I hear the Drum beating for the last Roll call but I shall try to fill the remaind of this sheet tomorrow as our company is detailed for grand guard to Fort Well. I will call it ([Deruser?]) or something that sounds very much like it.
Dec 18 I will now try to give you an account of myself and things at Fort [D?] But I must state in the first place the object for which our company was detailed. Perhaps it will not require a long explanation as you will readily percieve that
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a Fort without a guard is worse then useless. a new company is detailed evry day for that purpose. Sometimes from the N.Y. Reg and sometimes from ours. Well arriveing at the Fort our company is divided into 2 Squads one to guard it myself being among that number
are stationed
the other 2 ^ at cross Roads to guard against the approach of enimes. 20 of us are retained at the Fort and all we have to do unless an enimy should approach us (which is not very likely) is to take turns standing at the gate and cry out (Grand Rounds) when the officer commissioned for that purpose comes around to inspect the guard. He comes once in the day time and once at night no matter if we are all asleep the Sentinell calls out Grand Rounds Turn out the guard and in less than no
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time evry man must be out from under his Blanket and in line with his equipments on ready to Present arms. amediately after which we are dismissed and if he has then any orders to our capt he delivers them and goes his way. And there is one more required out of our Squad to guard a House about a[crossed out] 1/2 a mile from the Fort. This guard is relieved evry 2 hours. The object of haveing a guard there is to keep soldiers that may be strooling about from stealing Poultry or visiting the premises too frequently for any purpose. I am expecting to relieve the guard there at 5 P.M. it is now near 3 o clock and I must hasten to give you a short discription of it. But I hardly know how to do it. Perhaps the discription which I gave you of Fort Slocum will ans for this Only it is finished in more work- man like style. It mounts 7 guns the
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largest one a 32 pounder weights 8000 Pounds. In the center of this fort is a log Hut in which I am seated. It is quite a cosey place but one room about 15 by 25 with a row of Benches around it and a fire place in one corner.
Thursday Dec 19 I did not have time to finish writeing all I intended yesterday. I am now in camp again and have but a few minutes to write I told you yesterday I was expecting to relieve the guard at the Farm House. I did so last night from 5 to 7 and again this morning at the same hour. I am going to give you an idea some time of the Farming operations there But I have only time now to say that the sun never shone on a Brighter morning than this. The Big Bellied old fellow gave me a good Breakfast. I could not leave my post to take a seat at his table but he brought me out on a plate a large piece of corn cake a white Bread Biscuit and a sausage and a cup of tea. I have just Recd Fathers letter. I am sorry to hear that grandpar is sick. I am afraid I shall not meet him again in this world Rufus
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Washington D.C. Sunday Dec 29
Dear Brother I will again attempt to write you a few lines although as usual my begining is at a late hour, not exactly evening but about 3 P.M. I Recd your letter last Thursday. It contained much that was interesting to me. I am afraid you are [striveing?] too hard against the hard times. 50 cts a day with 3 leisure hours each day will be worth more to you at the
a day
end of the year than a Dollar ^ will without. I hope you will take my advise and let the evenings at least be free from care. I didnot expect to hear that grandpar was better. It seems as though his end was near and yet I cannot give up the hope of seeing him again. Please tell me when you write again if he is able to converse. We occupied
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our new quarters last night for the first time. They are not quite finished but with a little extra exertion yesterday we were enabled to make them quite comfortable last night. Our work yesterday was sewing the tents together for covering the Barracks and finishing our fireplace. Each mess worked by themselves as each have a House of their own. The company is divided into four messes with a sergent at the head of each. We succeeded in finishing our fireplace as we have a good Mason in our mess (Sylvester one of the [situate?] Boys) The covering was all ready at sunset to throw over the ridge- pole but we didnot have time to fasten it, fortunately it was a very still night so it ans evry purpose. I am more pleased with our new quarters than I expected. Our Bunks are roomy and it is very pleasent to be in them and with the fire. I am seated on
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my old yellow tub by the side of my bunk. The old Tub has been the sourse of much happiness to me. It is a part of my home and I prize it more than anything I have got. I find it vey conienent to keep my stockings Needle Book papers and various other things in. Well I have not time to write much more so I must tell you that the Baked Beans which we had this morning for Breakfast [this morning][crossed out] were very good. Mr Taggered is a very good cook. This morning was the 3d time that hes has treated us to Baked Beans. For dinner we had corned
for dinner
Beef and Bread ^ and Rice and Molasses for supper. The thanksgiving stores lasted us four about a month. It was common [prepe..?] as long as it lasted. I am blest with a good appetite and good health. That is all now so good evening Yours Truly Rufus
