Ransom W. Towle to Friends
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We still stop here with expectation of leaving every day. And as the weather is
quite rainy and muddy it makes us feel with our present rude accommodations
rather uneasy it rains most of the time and our Tents wetting through quite
easily it keeps us wet most of the time. the most remarkable thing about it is
that most of us are in better health than when we left Camp Griffin. But we are
not enervated by the bad air of heated rooms but being
all the time
in the open air we acquire good appetites which keeps up a good temperature of
animal heat and tends to resist cold and Disease I dont know that we are any
nearer moving than when I wrote last though everything shows that our stay here
is to be short We are not Drilled and are not allowed to fix up our Quarters
except in the rudest manner. Imagine two sheets five feet square put together in
the form of the two sides of the roof of a house, with the gables open and four
big fellows crowded into it with one Blanket each similar to my Indian Blanket
with the Rain pelting onto and through it A good smart brook running through
under us and you will get some Idea of us at night All who are not driven out
before are called out at Six by the Drum when all hands go in for a fire then we
eat our hard crackers and salt hoss Drink our slop Coffee
and pass the Day between Guard duty getting wood drying up as well as we can
playing euchre and speculating upon our future Destiny. There is probably
encamped near here ten to fifteen Divisions awaiting shipment which is probably
the case with us. Thousands of troops are shipped Daily Capt Terry was not in
arrest after he returned. The name on that likeness was E. H. Stoughton our Col.
Which I got him to write
and is a fair specimen of his handwriting
How about those orders have you drawn the money on them and do you want any more
if so I would as soon you would draw it right along so that it may be all
together how is Ralph doing is there any danger of his failing I was very sorry
to learn of Fathers misfortune hope ere this he is well again Please write
often
The sameRansom