Templeton_Letter_Folder_23__Undated

in the sun the steady beat of the drums & the different bands discoursing excellent music made quite an inspirinc scene.

Now perhaps a little decription of our division drill yesterday would not be uninteresting Our Brigade with the 1st in which is the NH 9th form Sturges division 5 reg. in each brigade We were drawn up in lines the 1st Brigade occupying the front. Then came the command from the Major Gen. repeated by the 10 Colonel's & by the hundreds of Captain's "Right into line wheel" Then we were put through a series of military tactics for two hours when we marched back to camp & found a good ration of stewed beans

[page break] waiting for us which we eat with a hearty good relish

It is astonishing how the army has cleared this part of the country of wood when we first came here it was as thickly wooded as Hillsboro' but now no trees are to be seen except here & there a scattering one Evry fence is completely torn away not a post or stock is left.

We have to go & cut our wood 3 miles away & it is hauled up by the teams. The papers seem to give the 11th a great deal of credit for their gallent action in the battle. Well it did require men of some nerve & pluck to advance over that plain amid such a shower of leaden rain. Just as we crossed the RR

That Ring you must be careful off & not melt the ware in hot water or by the fire it will probably stain some if I had had a peice of emery paper I would have smotheded the round part better if it stains you can take some polish a use on it. If it gets spoiled I will make another one

I sent $2 in my letter yesterday I hope it will arrive safe if it is lost mind nothing bout it I am much obliged to Emma for the nutmeg it will be good on flitters or in sause. You wrote there was lots of misquitoes at Home the boys are telling their friends write the same. To show you how conversation always learns in camp one sugests as a reason that all the fighting men are gone & the misquitoes are not affraid to pitch in, another that the sweeter portion of [community is left behind &c &c I am sory Father has so far to drive his cows if he will send his cows out here I will drive them & feed them on green corn I suppose Mary you will be pretty busy now & can't write verry often But write as often as you can get time I won't

[page turned] complain

[page turned back again] [page break] Near the Big Block July 7th 8 AM.

Dear Freinds at Home:

[I send?] you a letter yesterday but wrote it in such a hurry that am affraid the news it contains are rather indefinite. I have received all the letters you have sent up to June 23d The pins will come very handy we use them to pin up our tents in a shower or rain. But we are not troubled with showers or storms here. The ground is very dry but still I have never seen any vegetation nothing such a sun would wilt corn & beans in NH. but does not affect the same here. We see all about us large fields of corn from 10 to 16 feet in

height the ears & kernol formed so that the boys get it and roast We find an abundance of green peaches & apples of large size. A good many boys are eating them evry day I have not got short enough to resort to green apples & peaches yet.

Our Reg. are in very good health no more sick ones than usual The Hissboro' Boys are all well & in the best of spirits (no spirits in us however) The 16th Reg has rather hard luck I guess they don't have enough to do Frnak R wrote me that moving was the life of a soldier I think that is what keeps us in such good health. You will see by my letters that since we left Newport News we have camped in I guess 50 different places stopping from one to to a dozen nights in

[page break] a place. So used to moving are we that when we want to be from camp an hour or two, make or do any thing, we always put in "if we don't move". I have got so that five miles seems a very short distance to march & does not tire me any I had a little biled dish when at our last camp. In what was a few weeks ago a fine garden I got a few beets some cabbage plants and some strong beans. I should like some of those green pease I suppose you recollect where I was last 9th of July. I though I saw a great deal of country then But I have seen more since I send you J Le Lymonds letter I wrote him July 2d a year from the time he & myself ascended Mt Washington & forgot to mention it

[page turned upside down] I saw the other day a fig tree with figs growing on it

for all I care I sent it because I had no use for it I send a little ingined cotton & a few pictures cut from a paper James sent me You are marked No 1 was where our line of battle was last Dec [illegible] there was a battery which I fired at a number of times those two buildings look very natural I fired into them a good many timess That little bean I sent Anna is called a casto an oil bean & grows on a large tree sun in a manner similar to Chestnuts the inside of filled with meat I went to tell Anna the name of it but forgot it (I got her letter of Jun [illegible] I send you in this letter 8s We don't have a chance to spend it

[page turned] here

[page turned back again] [page break] [Illustration of a battle, with numerous soldiers with rifles and swords. One soldier in the background is carrying a large American flag. Further in the background is a confederate flag. In the foreground, a soldier is lying on the ground, a rifle by his side; he is looking upward, with his left hand raised upward. The illustration is signed WATERS & SON.] TAKING FORT DONELSON.

No 18

Dear Sister Mary Ann,

I hurried [illegible] letter thinking evry minute the [mail?] man would be round crying, mart mail, but he don't. [illegible] and I hasten to write you a few lines I snt you a letter July 3d No [illegible] this I guess is No [illegible] I wrote James three letters which he will send you In my letter from James last night he had received my letter mailed at Memphis

[page turned upside down] write often Mother need not send those suspenders for I don't want them now

We are very ignorant of affairs in Virginia We just got papers enough to set us to speculating we are hoping yet hardy dareing to hope that [Worker?] will achieve a victory about Washington if he can't Whip Lee there I don't know where he can I can [illegible] to see through this war now an army of 22000 men has fallen into our hands. This is I think the greatest victory ever achieved in America.

What will the Copperheads think now? they will try & [moderate?] the importance of this great victory but if they could see an army of 27000 men with all their acoutrements together & 250 cannon they would think it some importance The posession

[page break] of the city of V. is of untold value to our cause I think Grant is trying to catch Jne J. in a trap for he has thrown his army out here very suddenly hardly waiting for the rebs to march out of the city. What a big feather in his cap if he can rout Johnson I beleive he is the greatest Gen in America you need not be surprised to hear of the rout of Johnson any day I hardly think we shall get into a fight we are in his front.

I guess you may as well direct near Vicksburg Those two papers I got and they were gladly received

I send you a ring I commenced when on the boat & have just stamped in the [woe?] this morning Emma may have the pin

[page turned upside down] I intended sending this letter in Jennies but finding I had time again P S I can't get in the picture now will send

[page break] send it separate you can learn by hers where we are

write if you get all WJ. Templeton