The author of this letter is identified only by the name of “Henry.” I have a hunch that he served in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry which was performing guard duty in Fort Slocum in October 1861 but I can’t narrow his identity down any further than that.

Transcription

Washington
October 19, 1861

Dear Brother,

I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear that you were all well at home. I am much obliged for the stamps you sent. They are very acceptable. I received all the papers. Do you get the papers I send? I get them every morning. They come in camp. “Franked” mails are played out. Can’t get anymore.

There is considerable in the different encampments of the old excitement which I used to see at home about election. The troops will vote just the same as though they were at home. Well, how would you like to vote this year?

I wrote in Anna’s letter about them nuts. They are chinquapins. They grow like chestnuts in burs only the burs are about half the size of & grow on bushes like hazelnuts. Plenty of them and chestnuts here. I was out yesterday and got about a quart.

There is artillery passing down the road toward Washington. About 15 pieces have passed & there seems they are not half passed yet. Did you not get the paper with the names of the forts in? It had the names of about half the forts which are around Washington. One of the forts is Fort Slocum & the other is Fort Massachusetts. Last night our company was on guard there. I slept under of the 24-pounders with eight 24 balls for a pillow. About 4 this morning, about 50 of the boys got up and took double quick around the inside of the fort to keep warm. At first I heard the trotting around and could not make out what it was, but when I found out, I must say I had to laugh. I was warm enough so I did not join the crowd. The wind was pretty sharp & a pretty white frost on the grass.

I went fishing the other day. After traveling through the woods & over hills for 4 miles to get to a sort of a brook, I catched 1 eel, 7 little fish similar to the little stone fish we used to catch, & one little catfish about the size of my finger. This was fisherman’s luck, wet ass, and hungry gut. But on the way home made out to steal 4 big beets and a head of cabbage & got a pocket full of hazel nuts. When I got home, I was pretty tired. I think if you once put on a knapsack, you would think it grew heavier faster than you reckoned it.

We had a storm here night before last which wet everything through. Some of our forts almost come down & the water went through all ways. I never saw it rain harder. It was a pretty looking sight to see the boys creep out in the morning. Most of them looked like drowned rats. Well, this is a soldier’s life.

Monday after we were to have a review by Gen. McClellan so in the morning all hands—that is, the whole regiment—marched down to the quartermaster’s to get their whiskey and go to work on the whole camp. Some [were] sweeping, others cleaning up around the tents and making things look shipshape. Our company were among the sweepers. There was at least 600 who had cedar brooms in their hands at once. It would make some of you folks at home [laugh] to see some of the performances we have to go through. I have learned many trades since I have been here. I was over to the fort with the company & 4 of us started a well & dug it four feet in three hours. It was 8 feet in diameter. You had ought to see me handle the pick & shovel.

Don’t send the Budget of fun. It is full of darn’d nonsense & nothing else. I will send for what I will want, I think, after it gets colder. I will let you send me a box. There is some little things I will want when it gets a little colder. — Henry

I received a letter from Hon. Hueston. He is well. I will see him as soon as I can.