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Regiment: 1st U.S. Volunteers Sharpshooters
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp of Instruction
Berdans U.S. Sharp Shooters
Washington D.C. Nov. 24th 1861
My Own Dear Mary,
The Church bell are
ringing right merrily this morning.
the air is clear and still and it seems
more like Grand Rapids than any thing
else I have seen. Last week I wrote but one
letter to you and received three. one was de-
layed a few days. About that Poetess you
wrote to me. I had quite a time with Brewer
about her. his Biddy writes Poetry and pretty
good some of it is. and I told By. I thought
she must be his Mary and if it was she had
better keep her fists out of her eyes or she
would have none for him. How you could
guess so near Brewers looks is a mystery
to me. he has light hair blue eyes and is
one nick shorter and a trifle slimmer if we
can get to Washington together I am going
to have our Picture taken and send you.
That money will be paid you by some Pay-
master sither by letter or personally I suppose
but am not certain at least it is time you
had it if I had not expected it would be
paid
I as soon as I could have sent it
I should not have sent it that way. I
should like to see how you look now. so
if you
please you may send me your
Picture again soon. One of my tent
mates says he has fallen so deep in
love
with you he does not know how he will
get out again. We have built us a nice
fire place in one side of our
house so we
live warm as one could wish
in the Army.
The first night after we got it done we had
a party invited Brewer and Lake and,
“Did’nt go home till morning.”
Lakes is doing first rate now he is one of
our Cooks. he makes more fun than any
other one in the Company the other
day he and I got up a bet of five dollars
with some boys from the Southern part of the
state that thought they were pretty smart
on shooting. we to take five from Grand
Rapids and they five from the rest of the
Company. five shots a piece. yesterday part
of them shot. and on the first three we
were over six inches a head and our two
best shots yet to shoot. before we commen-
ced they were anxious to be side bets which
were
mostly taken of cours. last night
they had done betting. tomorrow we will
finish it
to n and if we do not beat them
I shall lose my guess. Lakes bad actions
were when we were at Weehawken. as I told
you before that was the worst place I ever saw
Lake pitched in did all it possible to think
of with this exception. he did not drink
he says he is sorry now for doing as he did.
but he is very impulsive and there is no
telling what he would do in a like place.
I gave him a good talking to which
he took in a good part and we are as
good friends as ever. If we get out
bread or want some sugar he lays it
one side for us so we can get it when
no one knows it. Perhaps it will seem
strange to you that I should take such
a course to get enough to eat. but if I
did not many would be the scant meals
for I cannot eat but very little meat and
only beef which we only have twice a week.
while I am in the Army if there is
enough to be had to eat you may be your
life I will have it and that thats is
good. I did not think you would get
along quite so fast with that chain but
when you get it done lay it aside for
me I will come after it. would like
to see that shawl I’ll take your word
for it that it is pretty.
With much love
Gardner B. Clark
[On Envelope:]
Miss Mary J. Baxter
Grand Rapids
Michigan
