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This transcription has not been verified by Special Collections Research Center Staff. Please also consult images of the document.

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


[Pg2]

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


[Pg3]

                   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


[Pg4]

   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


[Pg5]

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


[Pg6]

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]



[Pg7]

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


[Pg8]

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


[Pg9]

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


[Pg10]

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


[Pg11]

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


[Pg12]

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


[Pg13]

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


[Pg14]

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


[Pg15]

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


[Pg16]

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


[Pg17]

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


[Pg18]

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


[Pg19]

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