Valentine G. Barney to Maria Barney
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Again I seat myself to write you a few lines but my seat is not a cushioned Chair
nor my table very nicely painted and varnished but this matters but little if I
can but have the privilege of communicating with you. Thus far we have been
greatly favored in receiving mail matter. I hope we will not be deprived the
privilege of hearing from Each other often, but possibly we may but I think if
we are not mooved from this place we Shall get mails regularly and we do not
apprehend a moove very soon but we cant tell what will take place.
Nothing of much interest has happened since I last wrote you so I Shall have but
little to write but as our Co. have been out into the Country for two days past
Scouting around I will
give you a little acct of what we done and
saw the first day as I was with them then but not the last as my duties would
not allow my absence from Camp. Friday morn we got orders from the Colonel to go
out into the Country and see what was going on and if possible to bring in with us
a load of lumber. At this news Evry boy was pleased and in a few
moments ready to march with Lieut Sheridan as our Commander We went out about 3
miles through large fields of Wheat (which is ripe and all shelling out and
wasting.) before we found any boards such as we wanted we went into a
numbr of houses which were all deserted and Evry thing
left behind Even to Pianos, Cushioned Chairs, &c &c our orders were not
to meddle with anything but some did get some little things and brought them in
concealed in their haver sacks - after getting our lumber the next
thing was to get a team to draw it home so abt a dozen of us went on abt 2 miles
farther and after considerable fuss got a horse and mule together which made
quite a team but as we dare not take the team into Camp with us we took along
with us a negro to take the team back. There are a great many slaves around here
and it is amusing to see them and hear them talk. They are much more ignorant
than I supposed they were and they are too lazy to hoe the Corn and Cut the
wheat which would make them well off for the winter but they will lay around and
probably suffer for something to Eat before spring. I think the Country is very
pleasant and would be a very nice place to live if the weather was not quite so
warm. And I dont Know
as I blame the people for wanting Slaves to do
their work for them for I feel now as though I would like help this awful hot
day to moove my pen. The Thermometer stands at 110° in the Shade
which is a Considerable warmer than Ever it was known in Vt. I recd your letter
dated at at Uncle Wings and see you had not yet got my letter giving
an acct of the Bethel fight but you probably have got it before now and your
fears are all allayed. I cant tell when our time will be
out at any rate they cant Keep us longer than the 9th of Aug and probably not
longer than the 27 of July but at the longest our time is short and I will meet
you again soon I want you to write your intentions as to remaining in D- until
my return. I think you had better if Convenient. I hope your health will Keep
good and the Childrens also Kiss them a thousand times for me and be of Good
Cheer. Give my best respct to all and write all the news.
Your aff HusbandV.G.B.