Justus F. Gale to Brother
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And all the rest I sit my self upon my bunk with a piece of board in my lap to write
a word once more to let you know that I am wel and contented with camp life as I
expected: although we are deprived of many things that are pleasant: but under stood
that to begin with. we have some thing going on among the boys for amusement and
therefore it keeps us from being idle and dul. There is now ten Com. of infantry and
one of Artilery. the Com. are not all ful yet: dont know whether they wil wait til
they are ful or not. it has been very stormy weather here for a week or more past.
yesterday it cleared of and this morning it is pleasant and warm for
winter. there is about two feet of snow here: it has not drifted here as it does in
Elmore or did when I lived there. the hils [shet] in so close to the
river along here that the wind has not so long a [swich] as in some
places. yesterday I worked down to the village mar king guns and cut my hand on a
bayonet enough so that it is sore enough to bother me about writeing. I heard last
night that the M O N E Y came to the ville last night to pay us of: & the men to
muster us into the serv ice: but I havent seen them yet to day. we are all waiteing
patiently til they get ready for us to travel: and when they say the word the wool
flies. I am in hopes that the fighting wil be closed up before many months.
we heard of some good victories won by our army of late and stil are expecting
more fighting soon. our Company have most all got back from the hospital and are
doing wel. we are under pretty close orders are not alowed to go the out side of the
guard unles passed by a Commissioned officer and none can pass in the night wit- hout
the pass word. theire is now about one hundred and six or seven in our Co. I wrote a
letter last Sunday to Emma Gale but have not received any answer yet. Seargeant U A
Woodbury came down here last Monday: is driling us some here: I thought I would write
once more and then if I dont get any answer I am going to stop writeing home and go
to writeing to some body else. I dont know but you have excuses for not writeing but
I would like to here
from home just as wel as you like to here from me.
perhaps you would like to know how many letters I hav had since I came here. wel I
hav had one one in four or five weeks. I don’t know but you wil think I am mad but
not yet. I dont know of eny thing that I am in need of now: we have got our under
close shirts and one pair of socks. we shal have a considerable of a load to carry
when we get all of our arms and equipm- ents. they consist of a gun knapsack havre
sack canteen fatigue suit oaver coat blanket catriage box and straps enough to make a
harness. I gues I havent much reason to complain of our fair for I weigh one hundred
and seventy four and half pounds: but dont make any fat on their rag hash.
Jan 26th 1862
As I have been expecting to send this by U A Woodbury and he has not gone yet I wil
try and write a little more. I received a kind & welcome letter from Lyman last
yesterday and was glad to here from you all. I have been on guard this A. M. are on
about once in 7 or 8 days. theire is a good deal of stormy weather here yet and is
blustering to day. I presume you have seen a peice in the New De- aler about our
liveing. wel the most I have to say is that it is a true statement about our fair
& food say nuthing about the Officers which he spake of. we certain have had
potatoes boiled rotten ones and alltogether some as black as my boot when cut intoo,
and coffee that our pig would not drink, but we have good bread which is from the
baker if it were not for the bread we sho uld fair hard.
I heard last
night that we should not have our fried stake and butter much longer & if that is
the case I think that there wil be rebelion in our own green mountain state. we have
some verry good meat and butter &c. every Company are diss- atisfied with such
fare. if we could have such rations as are allowed by law we would not complain a
word I dont know where we shal go when we leave here & I gues none of our
officers know, but I think not so far south as we expected. I dont know as I shal
send this by Woodbury now for I think he wil stop here a whi- le. excuse this long
letter by writeing me as long a one as this. dont wory about our fare for we are
enough for the old cook yet,
J. F. Gale
we have a pleanty of good bread & that wil keep me in good trim for war. I havent
had the sick headache since I was at home nor a day but what I have been able to do
duty. I went up to the Worcester Co. last knigt had a good visit with those that I
was a quianted with staid theire and heard them attend evening prayers &c. theire
is much in camp to draw off our mind from all that is good but stil theire is some
that are trying to live religean while in the army engaged in fight- ing for their
liberty & countrys int- erest. I hope that when this reaches your hands that it
wil find you all wel and happy. I think some times that I wish I could be helping you
about the wood and threashing and other work but I supose that I am earning good
wages if not working
working hard: you must try and get along with the
buisness as wel as you can: hire what is nesicary get along with as little work as
can & have it do. take good care of Jenny colt and the steers. remember that I
shal look for a letter soon as you get this and hope I shal get one before then.
Direct your letter as before with the addition of: In the care of Capt L M Grout, on
the account of the male being all brought up in one bag and scattered goes
to every Com. to pick out their own letters. I wil send a picture encloced in this
letter to you. excuse all mistakes: accept my love and hope for the best both in this
world and in the world to come. so good by for this time, from that boy
J. G. Gale