No 16th Lee Barracks December 21st, 1862 Dear Nell, I received your most truly welcome letter last night, and although I had been to the city with a squad to attend the theater, and it was then nearly midnight I could not rest till I had read both Mothers and yours. I am truly thankful for the five dol lars it contained, But not for that alone was it welcome. A letter I find to be one nt of the most necessary things for our enjoyme here. I fear that I shall have to spend Christmas and perhaps New Years in the old camp. You can not be any more dis appointed than I am. But I will now tell you the reason I am detained here. It is against the regulations of the army to allow more than two Sergeants of a company to be absent on furlough. Two Sergts. of our company are already absent on furloughs, and so of course I must stay. But I think that perhaps I shall come soon I dont know whether any of our boys will go home or not now. Newt may possibly come tomorrow, but none of the others. There is some talk of our getting our pay on next pay day which will be next week. I hope this may be so, still "there's many a slip twixt cup and lip," and this may be one of them, at any rate I shall not build very high hopes upon it. Our horses keep coming in every day, and we now have perhaps 200 on hands. They have been divided up and assigned in lots to each company according to the number of men in each company. Our company has 23 to take care of. The majority of them are excellent ones, and but few poor ones can be found among them. They are from 14 to 15 hands high, young, strong made ones, and mostly of dark colors. Duns and creams are used for buglers to ride. A few iron grays are amongst them. We have to groom them at morning and noon, and feed them corn At night they are fed hay, and watered at morning and night. We have to water at the river nearly a mile, which makes a very good exercise for both men and horses. They are at present fed upon half rations, six pounds of corn at a mess, and I think ten pounds of hay. We have very good stables for them those used by the 6th and we are furnished with the best of combs and brushes to groom them with. Each man is furnished with a comb, brush, blanket, surcingle, halter and water ing bridle. The watering bridles consist of a pair of reins and snaffle bit which loops into the halter. No saddles or bridles will be issued until every man has learned to mount and ride without one. We had a sergeants drill on horseback Friday morning without saddles, each one having a blanket and watering bridle. It was quite amusing, some of them could not ride on a trot and one poor fellow while trotting rolled off into the snow from as gentle a horse as one could ask for. We tried to mount from the ground once We all got off in line and Col Litchfield showed us how and then we tried it. I had a noble fiery little animal that wouldnt stand quite still, taken together with the fact that I spring like a maple log made my attemps to mount ineffectual. The Col. watched my attempts some time and then kindly came and helped me on as he did one other. Good joke on the Col.! hey! But I have tried a few times since and improve very fast for I can jump on if raised about a foot. I am writing this in the guard house not as a prisoner but as a sergt. of the guard. We poor sergts. have to take it now three of us each day. It is now ten O'clock Sunday night and I sit by a table with two others near me talking, but you know I am no hand to talk, and as I have a good place to write I dont know but I may write all night Would you like to know how things are conducted in camp. I will try to tell you. You know how a company is formed so I will pass that. In the morning at six O'clock the bugler sounds the “revellie” when every man must get up and form into line near their quarters for roll call, immediately afterwards they go in, fold up their blankets, lay them away and sweep out the halls between the rows of bunks After that those who take care of the horses get their combs and brushes and go to the stables to see to their horses and feed them. A veterinary sergeant accompanies each company and examines each horse finds such fault and gives such instruc tions as he thinks proper. The rest of the men to go to the creek and wash. Then comes our breakfast, after which the grooms go and water the horses and others attend to guard mounting Each Orderly Sergt. receives an order from the sergt. Major of the regt. to detail a number of men for guard duty propor tioned to the number of men he has reported fit for duty. These men he details in alphabetical succession and from among those who have been absent from roll call more than once and have otherwise transgressed the rules of regt. or company. These men he forms into a line or colum on the company parade ground and at the Adjutants call from the budle marches them to the parade ground of the guard or regt. where he reports and to the sergt. Major his detail. The corporals ^ sergeants are detailed from the companies in succession or at the will of the Sergt. Major who also chooses one from among the duty Sergts of some company for Officer of the guard. Guard mounting is generall performed at 8[?] oclock A M after the ceremony of review is finished the guard is marched to the guards quarters where they are divided into three lots or “reliefs” and a corporal placed in command of each. the corporal of the first relief then relieves the old guard while the second is sent to the guard quarters and the third dismissed till wanted. At eight A M is surgeons call, when those who are sick go to the examination room and get medicine, if th [Do?] thinks necessary. If any are too ill for duty he gives them a certificate or excuse from duty for such time as he thinks fit. If an are very ill they go to hospital. No 16th At nine the bugle sounds the first drill call when the companies on prepare for drill by forming ^ the company parades. At 9:15, the second drill call is sounded when the companies march to the drill ground and drill until about eleven. Between 11 and 12, drill in the manual of arms for the Sergts. at 12 dinner, at half past 12, the horses have to be groomed and fed 1:30, recall from stable duty when the men come from the stables and prepare for drill at 1:55, fall in and drill until 33:10, when we must prepare for dress parade, the men all dressed alike, and clothes clean and neat as possible. After dress parade the horses watered and fed hay. Supper is sometimes eaten before dress parade and sometimes not until after the horses are taken care of. At sundown, on dress parade the roll is called and every absentee is”pricked” At half past eight another roll is called and at 9 lights are blowed out and every one supposed to be abed, but they “aint” And this is our routine daily with but little variation from day to day as we are detailed for some special duty. We have not got thoroughly broken in to these duties yet. Many of our men have been working building barracks and that together with the large drain on us for guard duty has almost entirely broken up the drill, and I think until the regiment is filled up more there will be but little drilling done, but throwing it to one side there is yet enough left for one to do to keep him stirring all of the time. The Sergeant of the guard is not a very laborious post, the hardest part is being up all of the time. He has to see that the reliefs are got out at the proper time and that is about all. I shall probably lay down and go to sleep before morning but I want to write about two hours yet. I wrote you some time ago that I had drawn my rifle. It was but for a short time, on Thursday last we were ordered to return them. Yesterday morning however we were supplied with another lot although of the same kind. We have them distrib uted in the company and each private corporal and sergeant has one. Our Lieut says that it is understood among the officers that these guns are to be used only for drill, that Col. Mann has said that a number of the best revolving rifles expressly are being manufactured ^ for this regiment. I dont know whether to hope so or not. As to that letter from Will Graham to John Alexander you would think we were “tuff” if you could see us eat once. Bull beef is what we live on. It was a great pity to kill some animals that we have eaten, they would have made good working cattle for they were awful tough, a good slice would last a man all day. But I guess you are getting tired, so I will begin to stop, as it is nearly 12 Oclock. Have you told George Lee to answer my letter If not I want you to immediately, for it is now at least three weeks since I wrote him. How I would like to be there Tuesday and Friday evenings, and I should like to see the party at Union Hall, Christmas Eve, but no three dollars have I got to spare, and I should think they would be scarce. But I suppose I can not be there and must be contented. But I may be home in the course of a month but do not look for me and no one will be disappointed. I shall endeavor to keep all the five dollars in case I should have the good luck to use it in that manner, otherwise I shall try to use it so that it will be a benefit. Our regimental officers tell us that the regt. will be full by the first of January, and I have heard it so often that I almost beleive it. I hope so Well here I am on the eighth page and you are getting tired. How I wish I could see you I would talk you to sleep. But when I have said this you will say “Ed is homesick” To confess the truth, I do feel so when I think of the many good things that will be ready for me Wednesday evening and the gloomy faces of Father, Mother, and Nell, when instead of me they see but a small brown package. But do not blame any one. The nature of things demand that I should stay and it would not be sol dierly for me to complain. What is that joke you spoke of, please write it down and send it along. Our Camp has been changed in name to Lee Barracks and you will direct your future letters accordingly. Write soon and if possible come and see us soon. Get Father and Mother to have their pictures taken and send to me. A merry Christmas and a happy New Years to all. Good night Edwin R Havens Write soon