Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
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This is Sunday morning and I will write you a few lines now and finish tomorrow
before the mail leaves. I recd a letter from you yesterday and you wished an
answer immedeatly regarding the horse the doctor intended to buy for me. as I
wrote you before I have made an aplication to get one from the Government but
dont yet know whether my aplication will be approved or not but expect to hear
every day, so as soon as I know what action Genl Peck takes I will know what to
do. if I can get the horse I have made an attempt to I shall not want the one
from Vermont, but should I fail I would be glad to get him. This price is rather
larger than
I cared about paying, but if I can get one to suit I
will not be particular I will write you and the Dr as soon as I hear from my
request. I dont hardly think the Dr done just right before to trade off his
old worthless notes and call them good in buying a
horse for me and had the thing resulted otherwise I would never have known but
that he paid $190- in cash for him. perhaps it was honorable but I cant see it.
Lt Jewett has just been in and we have had quite a visit. he intends to resign
as soon as he can get his papers through which will be two months I think, but I
fear he will have some trouble in getting out of the service, for Butler is very
strict and allows or accepts no resignations without the most urgent reasons and
with him "Family reasons are no reasons" on which to
ground a
resignation. To day is very dull and the wind blows tremendously and the
rattling of my tent almost deafens me- The boots you sent I sold for $13- they
were too long for me and were not such as pair as I wanted being almost like the
ones I have now, only not so long in the legs, Dennis made a mistake I think in
reading my letter, but all's just as well- I have just got news that one of Co
C. men has been fighting with the sutler and got nearly killed. I presume he was
drunk and its good enough for him. I am really and heartily sick of seeing
drunkeness and drinking and I would give a months pay if not another drop of
intoxicating liquors could be obtained by our regt for a year and three months
to come. it is the cause of most all the discord in the Regt. I am glad to know
however that we are about the
nearest to a Temperance Regt of any I
have ever yet seen and every one remarks what a steady orderly regt we have
still we do have those who will get drunk and raise hob- I guess I will have to
serve this man as I did some the other day for stealing whisky of the commissary
and getting drunk I took three Barrels and had holes cut through the bottom
large enough to let their heads through and put them on the men so all that was
to be seen of them was their heads sticking through the hole and a part of their
legs & feet I kept them marching with them on for three days & nights 4
hours on and 2 off and gave them nothing to eat but hard bread soaked in whisky-
and I dont think they will steal whisky again soon Perhaps you will think I am
getting to be very hard hearted but one has to be here or he cant get along and
have any kind of dicipline among men
will close Monday VGB
Monday MorningDear Maria
Nothing in addition to what I wrote yesterday enters my mind. I hear heavy
canonading some where and it is probably out at sea- perhaps a gunboat after a
blockade runner- The men are out this morning at squad drill and sergeants are
giving of their commands in a grand style The man who got drunk yesterday is out
in front of my Qrs under guard and digging up stumps he worked all night and
will continue to till he tells where he got his liquor. he declares yet that he
got drunk on cider but
the story dont look reasonable So he got to
suffer till he feels more penitent- Co A is out about 4 miles from here doing
picket duty I go out and see them occasionally and cant help feeling a kind of
partiality towards that Co. but I of course dont let it be seen- I hear the
train coming so I will close Accept much love from
Your AffectionateHusband V G