Camp Chase Columbus
Saturday April 19th 1862
Affectionate Wife
I received your letter
Cake & apples that you sent by Cale. And of course
was glad to hear from you or receive any thing you
could send me. I am well and hope this will find
you enjoying the same. I am sorry I wrote home
as I did for you may have some hope of my returning
before long, but I wrote my firm conviction at that
time for I could see no chance for us then and even
the Captain had given up all hope. But as the old
Proverb says its always ,, the darkest just before the day,, But we have
finley grabed our way through and now find our-
selves in open day, and our Regt. under
marching orders for Wheeling Island Virginia
which is a half a mile from Wheeling City We are
to get our Sabers and Pistols here and horses at the
Island we are to drill there a while and then go to East
Tennessee. We are under Fremonds Division and as his
army is not yet armed, some of our Officers think
we will get in as his Body Guard, it is all the better
for us. We are to leave here as soon as we can [???] Regt
from guarding these Prisoners as the 69th and the 74th
have left here for Tennessee, which throws the whole
duty on us and the 50th Regt. (or as we call them the
Bloody Irish) it takes 300 guards every day and will
bring us on duty about twice a week But we will
not have to stand it long, for several Regt.s that
have been cut up and worn out will be ordered here
to guard the prisons this sumer it is reported that
the 7th and 11th Ohio Regts. Are ordered here. And
as soon as this camp is reinforced we will leave for
Dixie, probley the last of the week or first of next
[page 2]
It seems almost unreasonable to believe that after so
manay disappointments that we are to be soldiers,
we have been playing soldier for a good while but
now we are in hopes that we will get a chance to
prove our selves soldiers in every sense of the word
our good times in camp are coming to a close
but the sooner the better for me for
I am tired of being in camp and no excitement
to keep a fellow a live, or to give him an appetite
to eat Uncle Sams Grub But we will have to drill
now every day “and what every thy hand findeth to
do, do it with thy might,, espechialy if it was to kill
a sesh . I was sorry to hear of our Trumbull County
boys being killed and wounded but such is the
fortunes of war. A great many thing they will be the
fortunat ones they think men may be killed by their
side but each one thinks for himself I will escape the
leaden hail and be looked up on as a man that feard
not to die in our countrys cause, but als how many
are cut down in the prime of life As for my part
I expect to get hurt if I ever go in to a battle field
but I shall not flinch if I knew I should be killed
if I should get through safe its all wright and if
I dont I care not I shall onley have to die once any
how and after that the judgement. You may think
that I am anxious to get away from you (unless you
have changed your mind) But you wrong me if you
do for I would like to be with you all the time if
possible, but you know that cannot be as we wish
and I cannot get a furlough here any oftner than
I could if I was way down in the midle of Dixie
I am tired of staying here and want some thing
for excitement and ths is the reason I am resigned
to my fate and dispensation of providence
by God
[page 3]
Our Regt. has been very fortunate so far
as to deserters for not a man has deserted yet
but we have not been but to the tug of war
yet. The 69th & 74th have not been so fortune-
ate, the next night after they got marching orders
about one hundred deserted from the two Regt.s
a good many of them wer on guard and they
stacked their guns against the fence and left
for parts unknown The Paymaster would not
pay the boys of the 69th their money yestarday but gave
it to the Captains of the Companyes to be payed
on the cars this morning before they left Columbus
each mans money was done up in a sealed
package by the Paymaster this was done to
keep the boys from getting drunk or deserting
I expect this was done by the influence of Col.
Moody, who is a dam old servant of god that’s
Lied for him several years he preached to our
Regt. last Sunday and he proved that we wer
all secesh and that we had seceded from Gods
Government and that the devil was our leader,
he dont like our boys but God knows there is
no love lost (if he dont I will tell him the
first time I see him) Major Setman and
Col. Loyd are working spite work, or the
Major is working again the Col. he wont salute
him, the Major was working that darn Infantry
game on us and as the Col. headed him in that
he got his back up, this afternoon as we was
on Battallion drill the Col. came up from
Columbus with a dispatch we wer in line
when the Col. came up to us instead of ordering
us to salute him the Major gave the order to
,, about face,, and marched us of with our raged
[page 4]
asses toward him, you can bet it was a
beautifull aspect We will get some new
pants next week and then I think we will
look better on a retreat. And we have still
another promise of pay that little tin which
we have had so many promises, ,, many a time
and oft. in realts,, we have been promisd it
The Col. had a dispatch from Fremont to day
Asking him how long it would be before he could
report his Regt. at Wheeling the Col. wrote back
to him saying he could report there in
48 hours after he got the order, that he would
go and leave the 50th Regt. to guard the
Prisons if he should get the order we may leave
before you get this. When you write to me again
write on the envelope following the Regt for I am
going with it if it gos to Hell, or to dixie or any
other hot place Sunday morning April 20th
The 74th Regt. left this morning I wrote this letter
yesterday for I expected to be on duty to day, but
I have not been detailed yet I have been very fortu-
-nate about being on duty since I came here I have
onley been on duty 14 hours since we came here, about
five weeks now. I would like to be on the prison one
day. Well Diana it is mention how long we will be
here but you must keep up good [care?] and look
to the future for happiness and for our meeting again
When you feel like giveing up all hope of our every
meeting and giveing away to your feelings you
must look around you and see how many have lost
their Husbands Brothers & fathers in our countrys
cause, and then think I am still alive ,,and will
there is life there is hope,, Write as soon as you
get this direct to Camp Care So good by I remain yours
till death Bine to Diana on duty to day Bine