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Regiment: 7th Wisconsin Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Cliffburn Barracks Washington DC
October 16th 1864
Dear Sister
This is an ideal autumnal
morning The high winds whisle around
on all sides of our barrack vainly
trying to gain admitence to our closed
compacked room. The bare trees stript
of their summer apparrel; The dead leves
being hurried through the air wherever
the frollie of the wind may carrie them,
or, lying safely beneath the protection
of some friendly fence or other obstruction,
all speaks to us in natures language
that the summer is past & that the
“Cold chilly winds of December” is
almost upon us. While I was in
“active service” these anual cold signs of
winter were always welcomed in a like
cold manner; for they were but the preface
of a large double volumn which could
be plainly read by any “old campaigner”
telling in the future of long cold marches by day & still
colder “brouae” by nights Of lying on
frozen ground, or being “pillowed on
hillocks damp” Reminding us of cold
morning wash where, with a neibering streem
for a washs bowl & the same for a
mirror, with ice & Virginias sacred soil
as a substitute for soap we were wont
to make our morning toilet All these &
many other “military inconveniances” will
be readily brought to mind by any old
soldier Is it any wonder
that than that
these ”weath marks” damping the spirits &
check that jovility of character so frequently
to be found among the union soldery, on its
first apperance. These ”prophetic signs”
of a change in the climate comming to
us this year, finds me diferently situated
Instead of being obliged to walk
all day I am only compelled to go
where the ”Spirits moves Instead of a bed
of rocks & a minature iceberg for a pillow
I have here a mattress for a bed a
feather pillow with nice sanitary
quilts made by pretty girls at the north
to cover
you me & proteck me from the cold
Certainly ever one would say “He” has
no reason to complain & if he does he
would complain were he to be hung etc
Notwithstanding all of these comforts
(for my condition has changed since
I last wrote) I am ill suited to this
kind of duty. I can only acount for
such feelings by the tale of the Icelander
who being taking to England by some
saliors & placed in a situation where no
comforts were wanted for still pined for
the ice bound isle where he was born for
that was his home with all its
drearyness & coldness Thus it is with me
for whereever the company roll is called
there will be my true home while this
war lasts, whether it be on the Rappa-
hannoch or the James or in some
dismal swamp it will matter not
But enough of this “& more to”
When I wrote last I was on guard
without having to wear acoutraments
on act of my wound The next morning
I was detailed for a clerk (after a specimen
of my hand write bad been shown) at these
Hd Qtrs as it was decided that I was
not fit for guard duty at present which
duty (clerk) I have been preforming ever since
This makes it a good deal better for me
as I have a good bed, extra fair, & with
three other have a separate room (with fire etc)
all to ourselves. Annother instance of good
fortune for me.
Yours of the 2nd of Oct (remailed at
Phila’) was received during the week so that all
of your back letters sent to Filbert St has been
received as Will owing to Willis Ingalls’es
kindness in sending them through
In regard to those blankets that you speek
of .. I cannot say whether Chas. Henky lives
near to J Freman home or not if he does
it is news to me Henky may have acted honest
on this blanket question but unlike Ceasers
wife he is not “above reproach” I hope that
it is all right for I should not like to
have any of the boys cheated out of their own things
The news in regard to the death
of Louis Provot was not unexpected for
I have feared that this would be the
results if he was herd from at all
Louis worth was known to but a few
A better soldier, never shouldered a gunn?
A truer friend, was hard to find
Brave to a fault, he after going through
all the fights that the Regt has been in
except one (Antietam) & after receiving two
wounds at last fell a victim to some
rebels bullett One more death to be acounted
for & has to be wiped out in rebel blood
at some future time by the members of
his “old Co,”
Your letter of the 9th was also received a
few days ago Also one from Capt Weeks
inside of which was a letter from Col Fin’
to Capt W where I see that Col Fin’
say that I have not been fairly dealt
with etc No doubt you read this letter &
know its contents this to tell the truth
has been my opinion for some time
but I have never said any thing about it
to no one for the reason that I thought it
would not help the matter any While I
was acting as Hospital Steward last winter
I done my best both to please the Col
& Dr Ayers & to do the fair thing by
the boys in the Regt. It seems by this
letter (of the Col) that I sucseeded in a
measure (& I feel proud of their confidence)
but by inrigue of Despine (who
previous to my being wounded spoke the
loudest in my favor) another man was
put in Davis of Co D who has been
famous for being a “Hospital bummer”
(as the soldiers call it) ever since he came out
& if I remember rightly never was engaged
in a fight with the Regt Me thinks there
is good reason for dissatisfaction on my
part after this state of affairs
The letter that Dr Ayers speaks of
receiving I wrote under the following circum-
stances On the 24th of June last while
I was still suffering a good deal from
my wound I received a letter from Sergt
Spaulding (com’d Co) written by request
of Dr Ayers inquiring as to the nature
of my disability etc & when I thought I
would be able to return & that if I should
within two or three months their would be
a chance for me as H. S. I ask my surgeon
as to this & he told me “four or five
months” I thought that by keeping still
& favoring myself I could reduce this
time two month so I wrote back to
Dr Ayer that I thought I would be back
in three month if I could have this
vacant “posish” I could not have kept
my word for three months from that
time I was at home A few week
after my letter had fairly reached
its destination the appointment was made
contrary as I believe to Dr Ayers wishes
& as it has since proved. This is the
whole history of the affair from A to Z.
I knew all about this while
I was at home but thought I would
not say any thing about it even to you
for I thought that perhaps other folks would
think that “I was trying to make
[ ? ] out of
nothing” consequently my silence I thought would
be discression. Lieut or Capt Week (rather)
thinks that there will be a chance for me in some
position should I go back to the Regt & refers me to
the Col letter as evidence. I have answered Capt
letter telling him that if such a position could
be secured for me. I could without a doubt take
advantage of the situation at once & as soon as I
was able I should apply for a transfer from the VRC
back to the old Regt I thanked him for his
kindness etc & closed with the wish expressed
that I should soon see him in person at
this camp I never for a moment
fafored the though that I should serve out
my term of service in this detestable VRC
When I was first told by the board
master that I was marked for this corps at
the old Hospt I resolved to fight against going
with all my power & if l should have to go
that as soon as I was able I would make
an attempt to go to the Co This first part
of this resolve I have made good the latter part
remains to be done, but my mind has not
changed since that time I have got a
good place here since last I wrote but this
will not tempt to lye inactive
for three more years or two at least- But
I will commence a third sheet & see if I
cant finish
I have just finnish a good
supper, prepared at the clerks mess
& for that reason feel very well
Without wishing to bragg any I
will say that I believe I can get
a good place almost any where At least
I judge from past experience not on
act of any virtue of my own but owning
to my invariable good luck which
has done more for me than even my
brains have or ever can do
You say “keep up good courage”
for it will all come out right you
may guess I will Were affairs twice
as dubious as they are I wouldn’t
get discouraged. The first week
that I was here I fealt none to
well pleased with my situation neither
do I now but shall try to stick it
through untill I am able to do better
by going to the Co
I am glad that you had a
chance to see Lieut Weeks With all
his faults he is a noble fellow A man
who if he has any thing to do is at
it early in the morning & untill it
is finished he will not relent at all
no matter how hard it may be
I am glad that I received “Capt”
letter for to tell the truth I had begin
to think that the old boy in the Co had
forgotten me since I was a “condemn yankee”
I wish I was able to go to the
Co with him In regard to whether
I was forsed into this or not I will say
that I was for when I asked to be
sent to my Regt the Capt here laugh
at me & asked me whether I was crazy
or insane I told him that I though
I should be booth if I had to stay
here long He then said that there would
a good chance that I would be crazy then
But I must close
Spencer
[On Envelope:]
Miss Amanda Bronson
Fall River
Columbia Co
Wisconsin
