Roswell Farnham to [Mary Farnham]
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Your letter written Monday & Tuesday the 13th & 14th was received yesterday & it did me a good deal of good. You must have received two letters from me before this, and Laura one. I have also written to Charley Harding. I have thought of you very much. Still as we are now situated I can hardly wish you here. We have nothing but tents and are so far from the city that I could be with you but little. When we are encamped so that you can be in camp with us then I shall be glad to have you with us - but I ought to stay in camp all the time. But there is no use in speculating now for we are now permanently located & it would be useless for you to come here now.
I am very busy all the time. We have had about five hours battalion drill today -
had a review yesterday by Gen'l Casey and are to be reviewed by Genl. Banks
tomorrow. I have been in the saddle five hours today & if you could see my
horse you would think there was some work in it. He is a magnificent
animal and attracts a great deal of attention. He is called the best horse in
the field here & there are a good many - I feel proud of him & very
thankful to those who were so kind as to present him to me.
Casey's whole division of eight regiments and one or two batteries is to be reviewed tomorrow by Banks. The boys will have quite a march but they feel good for it. If we have as good weather here as we did have had it will be a splendid sight. Our Regt. is getting many compliments. The inspector of camps for Genl Casey's Division said last night that our camp was the model camp of the Division for order and cleanliness & he should refer all other regts. to ours as an example. We mean to keep our good reputaion. The Bradford company is doing well. Most of the boys are well & ready for duty.
Capt. Chamberlain & his Lieuts. know their duty better than any three officers in the line. Will Wallace has been well all the time. He keeps my horses looking very well indeed. They are the best groomed of any horses on the field Nelson was sick yesterday, but he is quite well now.
The boys have a rumor about camp that we are to remain in Washington thro' the
winter to do provost guard duty. That would suit
you exactly I
suppose. If we should you would have very comfortable quarters, but it would
cost a small fortune to live.
I am glad that Laura is getting better & hope she will be very careful so as not to have a relapse. Give her my love & tell her I think of her often. I wish you both could be down here to see real camp life. I am writing by a comfortable fire in my stove & Nelson is also writing. My table is a box with some legs nailed to it. One candle gives us all the light we need and I am as comfortable as you please. We had beef steak & toast for supper and chicken for dinner - something extra however. Our cooking stove - not my tent stove - has an oven & four holes for dishes. It is a little larger than a fair sized valise.
I am glad to hear that Ruth is doing so well. Give her & Ben my love. I wish Ben was out here with us. Milo Corliss was over here from the Vermont Cavalry. He is well & says Mr. Whitcomb is well. Pep Chamberlin went over to see them day before yesterday. Nelson Copeland & Geo. Moore also called on me. They belong to the Vermont 11th
What has Tom's wife sued him for? Not for a divorce? I wish you would find out exactly & write me. I should be glad to attend to it for him, but Ormsby will do well for him.
As to myself I never was better in my life.
I have had no trouble
except a slight cold at night that would stuff my nose up a little & then
all right in the morning. I feel well & can do a man's work. Last night
after review I walked down in town & back, a distance of at least five miles
in all. Today I have tired the Col. out I think for he has been abed and asleep
an hour altho' is but a little past nine o'clk. If my health is good I shall
enjoy myself. I shall be careful for your sake, my dear, and run no more risk
than is necessary.
Give my love to Laura, Jane & Mac, and my best regards to Mrs. Flanders. Remember me to Mr. & Mrs. Strickland and Charlotte. Don't forget Dr. Poole. He has been very kind to Laura, and is an old friend of us all. Remember me to Helen Paine also, & all who enquire.
If we move I shall have to leave my trunk or valise probably. I shall leave it with Mr. Thaddeus Clarke who used to live in Bradford.
Cars are running here all the time, night & day, moving troops. You see the papers and know more about matters than I do. I have no time to read papers.
Write me often, and remember me always - I shall think of you often.
Your affectionate husbandRoswell Farnham
P.S. Don't forget the collars I wrote to Laura about. Make them good size both ways.