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Regiment: 1st U.S. Volunteers Sharpshooters
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp of Instruction
Berdans First Reg. U.S.S.S.
Washington D.C. Jan 22nd 1862
My Own Dear Mary.
I expect this evening as I write this
you may be reading my last which went by way of a brother
Corporal Norton Fitch of Alpine. he started last Monday and
ought to be home by this with it I sent all my letters and
a portfolio which was in the way. and lastly a pair of
undersleves, and finally a kiss. I wanted to send you some
thing from Washington seeing I had so good a chance.
Norton is a good boy and you can rely on any thing
he says. Unless he says something against me. he said he should
tell all about me but I guess he wont out of pity to me
I made him promise to go up and see you seven if he
went home first he is to be gone if he wishes to twenty
days. It snowed a little last night and has rained
steady for the last two yes four or five days previous
we probably shall not drill any more until winter is
over I expect it will be pretty dull for a while, but shall
get passes to go to town as often as I can and look over
the public buildings. I could spend a weeks time in looking
through the Patent Office and then not see all.
Lately
I cannot wait for cold potatoes my mind is not on
my business. The other night I was down to the Chaplain
he had a box of goods consisting of beel quilts ticks pillowcase
towels handkerchiefs sack mittens jellies wines and other
liquor and a quantity of books to be distributed among
the soldiers. the jellies were intended for the sick but some
of the boys thought if they left them there the sick would not
get them so they brought most of them away. I took a
pair of mittens which came quite hand, the Chaplain said
there were thousands of dollars worth of such things lying
in Washington sent here by Northern friends but owing
to their not being directed to a particular Reg. or Co.
they were never called for. My advice to all Northern
people is that they keep what they have to spare to home and
lay it out in releiving the wants of the [ ? ] relatives
of those who lose their lives in this war the soldiers
may need some few things that that they do not get but
the most of things contributed are not much needed
Government furnishes in the line of clothing a plenty
and that that is good enough for all practical purposes
those things that are sent actually cost much more than they
are worth. With a kiss and much Love Gardner
[On Envelope:]
Wm Mitchell
Box 450
Miss Mary J Baxter
Grand Rapids
Michigan
