35th Pennsylvania Infantry - General William Dixon

Item LTR-285

Description

4 page original Civil War soldier's letter, written in period ink and war dated.

Camp Tennally (Tennallytown, MD)

September 20th 1861

Dear Martha,

I now take up my pen to inform you that I am well and hoping when you receive these lines they may find you all well and getting along as usual. I have not received anything in the way of letter from you since last Sunday. I could not get writing to you in time to send a letter with Harry but suppose he could tell you that I was well and getting along as usual. In your last you wrote that Mary Jane Mish had been married. I hope she has got a pleasant husband and will have a pleasant life and I suppose he’s a man with the rocks in his pockets. There is one thing that I have to say. In regard to her and that is she is as good a talker as I ever had the pleasure of listening to. You also wrote that Beaver Polsgrove was married and that you and I were invited to the affair. I am sorry that I was not at home to have attended it but I suppose you could attend without me. I suppose Mr. And Mrs. Elder would be there. Well I was not there but give them my best wishes hoping they may have a long life and plenty of fat babies. I received a letter from Mrs. Morrow a few days ago they were all well and getting along as usual. I have been receiving a letter form them about every two weeks. I also received a letter from James Forbes a short time ago when he said that Aunt was very unwell and had the dropsy or something of that nature and I thought of his tone of writing that he didn’t think he was to get over it soon. I wrote a letter yesterday to Captain Elder and I also wrote a letter early in the morning too but it was only a few lines as I had not the time before the mail left for Washington. We get a mail every day, Sundays excepted. It leaves here in the morning middling early it is from here about 17 miles to the office. And the mail arrives has to take it a foot so he has to start early in the morning. It is a middling heavy load to carry sometimes. There is over 600 letters to take in to the office. There are very few that cares about carrying it at first they were very anxious about it. But now they are out of the notion. We are all getting along very well. We moved our camp on Wednesday. The men were very much dissatisfied about the move. But this morning they are better pleased. They were working hard all day yesterday policing the ground and this morning they are at it again and now we have a nicer Company Street than what we had before we moved and our men are very well pleased this morning. If you see any of the Sixeas you can tell them that Thornten is well and a very good boy. The last few days I have been seen several of the Chambersburg men. Yesterday Mr. McLellan came to see me and also Mr. Eyster and a Mr. Lehr. We are now situated along side of General McCall’s Headquarters. We only moved our Camp across the road from where we were. I wrote yesterday morning for you to send me about 10” of good fresh butter. Put it in two Crocks about 5” in each. I have a friend that wants some. The crocks I got on last Sunday was very nice. We have it most all used up. The butter we get about here is hard stuff. It is not like the Pennsylvania butter. Eggs is selling here for 25 to 30 cents per dozen. That is by our Suttler. I believe in Georgetown they only give the butter haulers at 12/2 per dozen. Our Sutter put on a heavy tariff and sells a great many goods. His sales amount to $100.00 per day. We are now at work shoring up another earth work which will mount 5 guns. I think by the time we have it finished we will be safe from the attacks of the enemy. Our 15 regiments of Penn Reserve Groups are to be divided into 3 brigades. We are in the 3d Brigade. It is composed of the 10th, the 6th, the 9th and the 12th and to be commanded by Brigadier General GRIGER OR GREIFER. He is of the regular Army and I believe he is considered a first class officer. I believe I have nothing more to write at this time. When you write let me know if Mr. Morrow has got a farm in Franklin County. Also let me know how Mr. Regner is getting along and if you think he ought to stay another year. If you think not I will send him a notice to leave. I cannot say when I will be at home. I will see if there are any prospects of us moving soon and if there is not I will send for you to come down. I would not advise you to come for sometime yet as there is some danger of getting the typhoid fever. But in the course of our month it will be gone. It is very had to get a good place to board at. If there will be no more made for some two or three weeks. I may get a furlough when I will be a home for a few days but I do not want you to look for me, as you may be disappointed. I believe I have nothing more to write to you at this time. Tell Davy to go to school and be a good boy and tell Maggie she had better to mind what mother says or Pa will not like her. Give my best wishes to Mr. And Mrs. Simon also to Mr. And Mrs. Tankersley and Capt Elder and family. Do not send me any more crackers as we have now about 10 boxes more than we can use. It is very warm down here this week. We have had no frost yet but some very heavy dews. No more but my best wishes to Mother and yourself and children.

Your affectionate Husband,
William D. Dixon