Bradford Sparrow to Alner D. Sparrow
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# 6
Alner D Sparrow
ElmoreVt
No. 6
Letter No 6Camp Near CulpeperSept 26th /63Dear Father;
Again I take my pen & paper to inform you of my whereabouts. Thursday morning
I drew a gun and that at Alexandria & took the cars for the field which
proves to be about 60 miles from Alexandria. We came to Culpeper by sail &
then marched 4 miles on a dusty road it me sweat some but I stood it well, yes
better than I expected. When we got here the Elmore boys were by oursides in a
few minutes for the whole brigade all together & no guards between regiments
& chance to be together as much as though it was one regiment. The boys seem
to be
feeling well & look fat. I am stationed in the 4th regt
Company. The officers seem to be good ones they are patient & not fretful
& overbearing yet. I seemed good together where there are some that I know
& something whole some to eat. The first night we had fresh beef fried &
soft bread & coffee in the morning salt pork & bread, this morn, we had
hard crackers pork & beef & coffee, the soldiers do their own cooking, so last night I
crumbed up some crackers in a cup & put soaking in cold water & this
morning it was soft & thick & after frying pork I put it in a plate with
little gravy & warmed it & that with the meat & coffee made a
meal
that I relished, yesterday the regiment [] 8 days
rations of crackers coffee & sugar & are expecting to move now all the
time. Ira & I tent together & when we move one carries half & the
other half. I was talking with Lyman about Alph, he says that he was left at New
York expecting his discharge when the reg’t left. Lyman says Alph was pretty
steady he says Alph never gambled a cent or got drunk but did drink some at
times & then again he would not taste of it for months, this he told me
without questioning except that I asked him how he behaved.
Lyman thinks Virginia healthier than Vt as a general thing, this is a good place
here, this brigade is used now as reserve & has since the fight at Gettysburg
I saw General Meade’s photograph
to day & thinking you would be pleased to see it I send it to you I shall
also mail a letter to you the same time I do this directed to Wolcott with $20
in it all in one bill & a greenback at that, the number of the bill is 83394
I guess that is pretty well deserved. The report is the [] burned a
bridge last night between here and Alexandria, one that I came over. When you
answer this send a slice or two of sweet flag & write about our clothes that
we sent home whether you got them or not. Direct to the 4th Vt Reegt Co
H H
Washington D.C
Yours TrulyBradford. P. Sparrow