Fremont House Denver City C.T. Sunday Oct. 1st 1865 Dear Nell. Here I am as you may see ‘putting on airs” in the great metropolis of that portion of sundown lying east of the Rocky Mountains. “Variety is the spice of life” you know and my Hitherto checkered career is fast arriving at another spot. After trying all sorts of life through the past three years. “braking in” for five months at Grand Rapids. roughing it in Wash ington Fairfax along the Occoquan O and A RR through Va. Penna and Maryland. six mon. then bumming thirteen more. afterwards roughing it in the Shenandoah Valley along the James river Va for 6 months more. “bumming” again at City Point almost three months. [haversing?] over land from the Atlantic to the heart of the Rocky Mountains spending two months among the wilds of Colorado. I now find myself 12 days before the time when I should cry quits with Uncle Sam. seated in a little 8 foot square room in a “real” chair my feet on a “real” bed covered with a “real” coverlet and engaged in writing you a letter from the town that but a few years ago was not Kansas but which now. if all accounts be true rivals many an eastern town that is its senior by many years As to its size business wealth and civilization I can say but little. We arrived here at 10 oclock last night and it being Sunday I have been too lazy to break or even bend the Sabbath by roaming around through the streets and too wicked to go to church and consequently I have remained in my hotel with a desire to wait a few days ere I [illegible in original] this vast execres cence of civilization this shoot so far away from its Mother stem. then I will give you my ideas of matters in general and Denver in par ticular. In saying me I did not mean to convey the idea that all of us are here. By no means. I with 5 other officers of our regiment are made the recipients of what you might call and what every one but the recipients call a “soft thing.” A General Court Martial has been instituted and we detailed as a portion of its members. It is very likely that it will continue in session nearly if not quite all winter. as we have a Captain of our regiment detailed as Judge Advocate who has done nothing else, almost ever since he joined the regiment at it Boonesboro Md. and who delights in ^ and being considerably “on it” will prolong the affair as long as possible. I can not say that I am exceedingly well pleased with the detail. I have seen things I liked much better in prospect but ca'n't tell anything about it as yet. If the charges at the hotels for board are any evidence of the prosperity of the town I think it must be in quite a healthy condition Board is only four dollars a day for transient boarders 12 a week without rooms. and 20 with rooms for regular boarders so that with a salary of 450 per day it will cost all of it to pay one's board and your “soft” thing proves to be rotten as well as soft however I think I sha'n't submit to so much bloodletting very long. I came down from Va Dale on the Overland Coach starting night before last at 1 oclock Below Fort Collins the country is entirely new to me and I found very pleasant Twenty miles below the Fort we crossed quite a large creek with quite a settlement at the station and 8 miles farther another ten miles farther and we reached Burlington on St Vrains creek quite a settle ment mostly farmers, but with a tavern. blacksmith shop, store etc. and I saw two or three of its female citizens that were quite comely in form and feather. We got a good dinner at the tavern. After seven P.M. we stopped for supper at a station seven miles from here and got an excellent meal of fried pork steak with appropriate “chicken fixins” There is much good farming country between here and Fort Collins and I saw crops of corn stacks of wheat and immense amounts of hay all along the road Hay is about the surest and most profitable crop this country affords bringing in the winter from ten to 25 cents a pound and always is in good demand I find this a good hotel there are good rooms. good beds. good meals. [2 words illegible in original] girls and big changes all of which so far as my experience in hotel life goes constitute a good hotel. Time's precious. mind confused. no news to write and I think I'll close. Have'n't had a letter from you or any other man “for a month or less. The Gentleman in black” has got hold of the mail I reckon. Do'n't forget me entirely but conde scend to write once more directing to simply Denver City C.T. Yours Truly E R Havens