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GOODELL
FAMILY LETTERS- #23 Anson to Parents & Brother Charlie |
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Camp Big Pine Dear Father, Mother, and Bro. Charlie: You notice my heading is not as usual. We had hardly settled in Camp Oliver when orders came to get ready for picket. Wednesday the 2nd we were told at 8 P.M. to back our baggage and be ready to strike our tents at day light next mom. Thurs at dawn the teams came clattering into camp and all was confusion till the six allowed to each Co. were loaded and we were ready to start. At 8 A.M. we fell in and were on the way for a little tramp at about 9 miles into the Country to reinforce a company that were on picket at a comer of roads where there is a big pine so that the post is called the "big pine" for the present. Now that we have come and made the camp larger perhaps it will be named after its commanders Capt. Foster or Carrington. I did not feel very strong when we started hence the march though a short one tired me very much and I was compelled to leave the ranks and take a slower rate. Yesterday and today the men have been busy in pitching tents, making bunks and repairing the camp so that now things are quite comfortable. I have not felt able to do much so have not assisted much in anything. But today I felt better and tomorrow shall be well as ever. We like our position well with the exception of water which has to be brought by a donkey team from the Deep Gully 3/4 mile distant. This we wish much for at Fort Stevenson we had an excellent spring just in view of our tents - the best water in Newbern. Our rations have been good for a few days - potatoes bought by our Co. Fund at $6.00 per bbl., soft bread and good ham. But our cook told me this mom that our hams would soon be gone when we shall have to eat wormy hard bread most of the time with half a loaf of soft bread three times in ten days – salt horse –salt as brine itself – hard as flints and as full of salt-peter that eating much of it will soon make one’s mouth sore; and salt pork boiled – you can imagine what kind of a dish coarse western pork would make boiled. I think our rations have been poorer this summer than ever before. About all the meat I eat is fresh beef and ham and confine myself to bread the rest of the time. This goes very well with apple sauce made from dried apples that we get in the City at fifteen cents per lb. By the way we stewed the last you sent us in that box last week. It was excellent apple. We expect to fare better sometime if the cattle boats bring us any beef from N.Y. Our Lieut. has gone today to see if he can get a darkey to draw his seine for us and give the Co. a meal of fresh fish. Lieut. Tew says if U.S. don't feed us better he shall take a few rifles and on days we are allowed to hunt - will try to bring down some fresh beef or pork with his carbine. I saw Edwin the 3rd and was glad to find him on the gain and in excellent spirits. Moffitt and Freeman are in the same Hospital. M. is quite sick and probably will not join the Co. for some time. Wesley has been very sick and delirious but is now himself again and on the gain with some prospects of having a furlough to visit his mends. Morton and the rest of the boys are well. Good bye Affectionately Yours AP |
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