Willard Templeton Letters

I guess I shall want a pair of warm army mittens I have one pair Madison sent gave me I want them knit warm & large. When we get possess -sion of the R R. A Washington we can get things right through I hope Father has got him a good over coat tell him he must get him one has he bought that land yet of Dow? It seems Sylvanus was not excepted; well he has saved a good deal of hard marchng & hard fare & lost the chance of seeing sights never to be seen again in this generation I suppose you hear storries of our almost starving. I have had enough to eat evry [illegible] since I enlisted we have good hard bread & We took sunday morning 1 1/2 lbs. of salt por I have some yet It is first rate broiled on a stick We shall probably get no more till We get on a R R Buf [illegible] driven

[page turned upside down] Perhaps before I can send this shall write [page turned] more W.J.T.

I send you a song I bought at Covington I thought it a good one We left Covington week ago last Wednesday the train got off about 3 oclock PM and after a good sleep [?] at 1 oclock found ourselves at Nicholsville We have now got a nice camp ground we can buy and get for rations all the vegetables and fruit of evry kind we wish for Modica +I tent together and we have evrything we want as he always has money enough It sound strange to have you talk about blackberries as they have left us long ago I am sorry to hear Obodiah is so slim I think it must be the sudden change of [?] + dirt which makes so many rich I hope the 16th Regt coming home so used up won't scare al lthe drafted men let them remember that the war is most ovr with and

that in all probability they will not see much hard times as we have seen We all feel as though the war ^was most over with and we know ^ the Rebellion must come down soon If we have no trouble in getting our 300000 conscripts I think as Gen Meade says the rebels will give up What does Nat Taylor think now about greenbacks? now when one dollar greenback is worth 2 Confederate in Richmond itself What does Uncle Moris say of the war now? does he think we can whip the south? I suppose the people at home dont think what a great moral effect the 300000 new men will have on the south Their only hope is that we can't raise them is we do raise them their hopes are all gone Where is Shoah Davis now?

Sat morning

The mail goes soon and I will finish this I don't think of much more to write I hope you will have a good time going to Boston You won't have any trouble changing cars just ask the conductor if you are in doubt. The things I want Emma to have are such I can't send in a letter or I should mail them I sent a letter to James Choate a few days ago. [I send?] one to Josephine this morning Good By Write often make James write often

the 25th Mass tapped them he served the taps they were well. but I can't keep the heels from running over Would like a paper of corn starch please [do?] in up in a double bag so that it won't [sift?] out, or something which will keep it dry & tight I want to keep it till hot weather Please put in a little very fine lettuce seeds so if we stop here long I will have some green lettuce I would like a little camphor if you can put it in anything so that it will not disolve. I guess a strong vial filled would with [to?] the liquid & a little gum will be enough. I would like a little bottle of brandy you had better send to Concord and get a pint or half a pint & send me a little linement bottle full put the brandy into the dried apple so the inspector will not find it, or write where you put it please send a [light bre?] that will not wet through but bore a few holes in the bottom to admit the air. I would like a little can of tomato but if you hav n't it never mind. You may put in my old gravy hat clean it a little. Perhaps Mr. Farrar's folks will want to put in a few things Please write me what you put in & when you start & what it costs What did the other cost? Tell MRs. Burnrill I am very much obliged for that fresh meat it was very nice I am sorry I did not speak of it before. I have written for a good many articles so you must make them small. Tell Anna I am very sorry I did not get that letter should be very much pleased to receive one from her. To-day is town Meeting in NH it is raining here hard now / PM. I send you $2 & when I get out will go to dunning [illegible] has had the measles but is getting along slowly he has been pretty sick

(Private)

in his bol please put me in a qt of dry pease & tell me how to cook them I would not send more than 9 mince pies other pies it won't pay to send dough nuts & sweet cake will keep well but I would not send but a few such things I should like considerable dried apple nearly as much as you sent before for I can manage that any way The dried apple keep separate from the other things it would be well to divide the bol by a partition for apples make other things mould should like some sausages. I think it would be a good idea to boil them first. I have a plenty of black pepper would like a little red, tablespoonfull would be enough put it in a small stout vial. please put me in a bottle with a little good vinegar & pickles a few pieces of pickle. I should like to have father get a pair of heel irons & send some nails to put them on with. I got my boots topped paid [$1.00?] an old fellow in

[page turned upside down] is in the Hospital now write soon & send the papers affectionately yours W.J. Templeton

Now I must tell you about our "Quincy Market" as the boys call it About 50 teams of contrabands come in fromthe contry loaded with apples pies, cakes, oystors, milk, eggs cocoanuts puddings & c which they sell at fair rates or exchange for fresh meat, pork, bacon coffee, &c They come in early in the Moring & one of those old horse carts with an old skeleton horse frame attached to it the black faces of two to five flat [noges?] rolling the white of their eyes & showing their teeth are quite a ludicrio ludicrous sight. Generally a whole family come in a man his wife & one or more children they say their masters left last summer and they occupy & possess" they are of the full blooded negrow tribe. & think I hav n't seen but a few mulattos they are all the same honest polite & good meaning persons as I used to see in Boston. thy are not hardly hardly

[page turned] [probably?] those they picked up that our soldiers had thrown away

shrewd enough to trade with us yankeys Thy are under the command of the provost gard who sets their price & [brovets?] them from "the cleaning out" process our boys adopt to rid themselves of exorbitant priced suttlers & which there is enough scoundrels in our reg. to play the same on the unfortunate black conterbands. They sell out their stuff & then take in soldiers clothes to wash for five cts each & return them in two days Besides those that come in carts any number of foot traders come in with great baskets on their heads some comeing 7..10 & even 14 miles they say & bring their loads on their heads & return with loads of clothes. I have been quite interested in talking with them asked one old man how large a family he had got "a right smart family I reckon" & how many I asked "14 I reckon Alden asked one if he had been a shave & was when the war broke out. said yes. on being asked if he liked if he supposed himself free now ans. yes. and if he liked freedom better than slavery answered contemptaously "reckon any body would like being free better than a slave". The woman all wear handker cheifs around their heads & the men & boys have gray coates & the army blue pants

At [Cairo?] I bought some maple sugar which the siller said was made in Wis. It was made good but not quite equal to that you sent me. I wrote to Abadiah & John Symonds some time ago. It would be a queer incident if I should see them before they received my letters.

The mail goes back at 6 PM & I will try a fill of this abut with something if it is not very [illegible]

The city of Cario has the windiest streets & dirtiest side-walks I ever say in any city. the streets are notty paved, the wind is from 9 inches to a foot deep The side-walks are boarded or planked & the mud makes them a slipery as ice. The water used all comes from the Ohio river which look very muddy but on

tipping it up it is quite clear & has no very bad and surely no very good taste. Fishing is carried on [Annder?]- ably here We were fishing all the afternoon yesterday & after hunting all about for bait & asking innumerable questions of the fishermen, we never got a bit.

Please write me how the votes for governor Congressmen are [divided?] I wish you to sent me little scrips from papers in your letters as We shall probably get but few papers from NE.

I should think Father had a good ways to drive his cow. I wish I had her here & could take here evry where ine go reckon she would not like the marching. But I have no time to write more hope you will write soon & often Good buy WJ. Templeton

been the greatest [illegible] I suppose ever known such tremenderous armies probably never faced each other & such terrible slaughter I hope never will take place again. The rebels must have lost nearly 10000 prisoners and thirr loss in killed & wounded must be nearly as great as ours. We have gained in pois-tion what the army of the Potomac always have fought for, Fredericksvurgh & a base of supplies of Acquia Greek besides I hear great movements are taking place in other parts of the south & I and am in hopes those that live to see it will see this rebellion closed up before another winter. I want you & James to write often direct to Co D. 11th NY[C?] Vals 23 2d Brigade 2d Div. 9th Army Corps Washington DC. I don't know when I can send this but thought I would have it ready for the mail I will try & write a little more before sending this. I sent a letter white [illegible] were at Chancellorsville written in a great hurry I sent it by a 17th NA. buy who was wounded I don't know as you will ge[t?] it or can read it. I hope this terrible fighting will end soon. I think there is some great movement going on this [pin?]. and to-night Good Boy WJ. Templeton