.NTMy.Njk4

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Camp near Richmond [Virginia] May 22d [1862]

My dear Wife – Yesterday one of our officers went into Richmond and found the old mails which had been opened [struck-through] made up for Glo[uce]st[er] P[oint] [Virginia]– they had opened some of the bags, and he brought me two letters from you, one dated May 1st and one May 4th -the first letters I have gotten since 1st May. I have written to you whenever I could since we left Glo[uce]st[er] P[oint] and hope you have heard from me almost as regularly as you did before – I also hope to get other letters from you when the remaining mails from the P[oin]t are opened in R[ich]mond [......................?...............................] My joy at receiving letters from you was very much saddened by the intelligence of Sarahs death. It is sad to feel that death has entered our little family; but our kind heavenly Father knows best what is for our good and though trials and afflictions do seem to be very hard sometimes, yet it is always a comfort to know that we are in his hands, and that the doeth are things well The [burden?] of my prayer now is for patience and cheerful resignation to His will. We have under- gone a great many hardships since we commen- ced this march but have [?] them well and we all are now well except Doc

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who has succeeded in getting a 20 days fur- lough and gone home. His worst ailment was, I think home sickness. This is the only sick- ness I have suffered with, except toothache a little – and I can assure you that [raging?] toothaches isn’t much worse. I sometimes almost envy Doc. his little furlough even with the sickness which enabled him to get it. Our duties now are very heavy – We have drill [struck-through] roll- call at 5 o.c[lock] – and have drill at 5 1/2 o.c[lock] – roll-call & another hours drill at 8 o.c[lock] – roll-

 & an hours drill

call ^ at dinner – roll-call and two or three hours drill at 4 o.c[lock] – and roll-call again at 8 o.c[lock] at night – and our guns to keep always bright, which takes a good deal of time. The morning drills are squad or company drills – the evening drills are Batallion [Battalion] or Brigade drills. Yesterday evening we had a Brigade drill, and Gen[eral] [Robert Emmett] Rodes commanded – there were four or five Reg[imen]ts on the field together – and the sight was very imposing – Our men are not well drilled though, they become so tired of it, that it is impossible to get their attention without much [serious?] punishment than our officers have yet adapted. A great many officers

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[tho?] are totally incompetent; and I find every day men placed over me whom I feel to be my inferiors in every respect. Our officers, who are all nice men, and are very good officers in a heavy battery, are [?] [?] as infantry of- ficers, and I have found since we have been placed in situations to test men thoroughly, are not only very inattentive to the wants of the privates, and to the sick, but are also very partial to their relations a good many of whom are in the com- pany and nearly all of whom are now detailed into soft places. They have become very [unpopular?] with most of the company. It was understood a few days since that their election had been informal, and would be had over again, and there was a great effort made to supplant the Capt[ain]. I was selected as the opposing candidate, and

    soon

it was ^ ascertained that I could get almost if not a majority of the votes – the election however was not held, & if it had been I could not have accepted the nomination, as a great many would have [hated?] not from any love to me but from dislike to Capt[ain] Bagley. This is one of the reasons why we wish to be transferred from this company. If it is to remain infantry, we are un-

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willing to undertake the additional hardships under a selfish and [partial?] officer. We think too that we can hear from our friends oftener in a com- pany from our own neighborhood – and if things get much worse I am determined to get a substitute for the [war?] & then join again if necessary, where I can do better. I wish your Pa would see if one can be had & for what price. We have an idea of being transferred to [Captain] Baskervilles company, [?] who has been to see me, & whom I find to be a fine fellow, told me the other day if I would join his company, there would soon be an election for L[ieutenan]t. & he thought I might get it. I have written to Capt[ain] [McGehee?] to know if he could get us into his company, but am not certain where his company is, or whether it is still in the Heavy Artillery service. But still, with all the privileges we have enjoyed in this company, if we go into the light or heavy artillery service, I will not leave it, as we might very easily be [rousted?] – We might get under wicked & profane officers which I would consider much worse – You mustn’t feel badly about anything I have written, as we will certainly, as we have been, continue to the well as long as we do our duty fully & cheerfully