148th New York Infantry

Item LTR-6368

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 pages written in period ink.

Headquarters 148th New York Volunteers
Near Portsmouth, Virginia

October 15th [1863]

Dear Miss,

My last letter directed to Thema was written in Suffolk just before we started for our present camp and before I knew whether we were going. I hope that you have not been worried about us on account of its indefiniteness. If I had waited a little longer, I might have told you my destination. It was Saturday forenoon that I wrote the letter and in the evening about half past 11, we started on the cars for Portsmouth. It rained nearly all the time from Saturday morning, till Tuesday night. So you see that it was not very conducive for me to write much during that time. First, you must know that I am well, hearty and happy. Then I will tell you what an interesting time we had getting here. In the morning, we were ordered to pack up everything but our tent so that we might be ready at a moment’s notice when the train came up!! But I must stop for the present for Company K is ordered to fall into line with their equipment. It was only company inspection and that was soon over. I will be brief in order to get this off in today’s mail. But to my story. We waited for the train until nearly night. Then it came with the 58th Pennsylvania to take our places and we learned that we were to take theirs at Portsmouth to do picket and provost duty. If it had not been for the officer’s baggage, hospital, commissary and quartermaster’s stores, we could have moved off immediately. But we had to wait for the slow coaches of Uncle Sam to come up after the freight and for some unaccountable slow movement of somebody somewhere. So that before we could get on the cars, not out of the rain, for most of the cars were open ones. It was after eleven. Whether the officers justified the act or not, I looked out for no. 1 enough to get in a covered car. I was sorry for those who had to ride in the rain with overcoats completely filled with water. I was wet enough as it was. If we had passed through the rain at home, there would not be many without colds the next day. I am sure. But I did not see many who complained at all. I tell you we are tough ones. If you see anyone who thinks that they cannot stand soldiers fare, just tell them that the best thing for them to do is to enlist at once. We are soon to have the Sibley tents. Then we can have things as comfortable as one could ask for. We have a good floor already for one built about a foot from the ground. The 58th Pennsylvania had Sibley tents, good floors and in many of them, cribs or bunds with berths for two side by side. Each bunk with two berths to accommodate 4. These bunks were built of rough boards of cloth. Each tent will accommodate 20 without difficulty. The 58th had cook rooms built of boards and many arrangements that other regiments could not have because they had been about here ever since they entered the service. Some nine months. But we did not find all of these accommodations. For the neighboring regiments shanked what they had, taking the same liberties of their fellow soldiers. It would probably be called stealing and furnished accordingly. But I have not seen anything of this. Our camp is on the north side of a small stream called “Paradise Creek”. I can see the stream very easily but why it is called Paradise, unless it is because of the contrast, I am unable to understand. The stream itself is very small, but when the tide is up, it is almost as large as the Canadian River. Just by the stream to the southwest of us is a rough fort nearly in the form of a semicircle built by the rebels. By the appearance of things, it contained at one time three large pivot guns. One platform only remains. It looks as though it had been set on fire and the fire went out. The other platform was burned completely. I will draw on another piece of paper a little drawing of it. The deserted rebel earthworks that are near us. Our tents have come and we must put ours up as soon as we can. For one and all, I subscribe myself your affectionate son and brother,

Charles A. Gillet