46th Pennsylvania Infantry

Item LTR-432

Description

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

Camp Banks
Company B, 46th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers

November 26th 1861

Dear Daughter,

I wrote you immediately after arriving in Camp. As I have not heard from you, I write again. I wrote to your Mother and Uncle on Sunday evening. On Saturday evening, after I arrived in Camp, at one-half past 4, we were ordered to march. That is our company alone. We packed up and marched some two miles to this place. We were detailed to relieve a company of the 5th Connecticut. We are the Provost Guard. We have some 45 or 50 prisoners to guard and scour the country for 8 or 10 miles around in search of liquor and its venders. And deal with them without any mercy, as our orders are imperative. We do no know how long we shall stay here. Some say we are to go into winter quarters in Frederick. Some say we are to march into Virginia and take possession of Leesburg. At any rate, we shall be the rear guard and out of danger from the Secesh.

I got a letter from your Uncle on Sunday. He did not mention whether he had seen you or not. My neck is not entirely well. But it gives one no inconvenience whatever. I am as hearty as a buck and eat about two rations a day. We are better fed here as the Provost Guard than when in the Regiment. As we have the choice of our provisions: salt pork, corned beef, bacon and fresh beef, hard bread or flour, beans, hominy, split peas, rice, potatoes, molasses, coffee, tea and sugar. Just as we choose to draw it and our hard bread we prefer in our mess. And almost every day, have a mess pan full of crackers, stewed soft, with pepper salt and fat. That makes them not hard to take. We sleep pretty comfortably, having plenty of clean straw. With our overcoats and blankets we do not suffer much from cold. We had snow on Sunday night. But it all melted yesterday. It is warm this morning and pleasant and from appearances we will have an open winter but very changeable.

By the way, I showed your likeness to the men. The single ones express a strong desire to get acquainted with you. All pronounced you to be a splendid woman, married and single. We are pleasantly situated in one sense. But on the other we have to be ready for duty at any moment. Sometimes our whole company is either on guard or on all night scouting. There is but two Companies here. Company K of the 29th Pennsylvania Volunteers and Company B of the 46th. It is an honorable post, as the men have to be trusted more than they have an opportunity to be in the Regiment.

Give my love to your Grandmother, Uncle and Aunt and cousins and believe me still to be your loving and affectionate Father,

John Woollen

Miss M. E. Woollen

Write very soon and let me hear from you and how your health is. I wish you could change your habits in some way. Direct to Company B, 46th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, Camp Banks via Washington City, DC

JW