Selickman's Ford. Virginia. April 23d 1861 [1863?] To. Our. Folks. As I have a few moments of quiet and need something to employ my mind and time better than sleep or some worse occupation I have got my back against a tree and made up my mind to write you all a letter. I owe none of you one but being somewhat liberally minded I will give you this one free of charge. In starting I shall promise you that there will be little, if any, news. Everything in camp glides along smoothly, and the wheels of time roll rapidly and we can scarcely take note of each day before it is past and forgotten.. Days glide into weeks, weeks are soon months. and we think of the happy moments we were wont to pass at home as though they were but a week past.. It is strange how time flies with one in the army while he retains his health.. But very likely to one ill it is slow. surrounded as he is by none of the comforts of home. Seven months ago today we were journeying from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids to commence our life as soldiers; well do I remember that day the memories of home and friends I was leaving crowding about my mind and shadows of the [dim?] coming future. Some of those shadows were dark and threatning presaging ill health wounds, and perhaps death.. others bright, and promising health and happiness. and on these what more natural than to build air castles of fame honor and prosperity. filling not only my own heart but those of parents and friends with joy and pride. These seven months have been short and happy ones. I have been blessed with the most perfect health and the hardships which I have endured and which at the distance I had viewed them with friends at home seemed appalling are when at hand but small and trifling to one who has made up his mind to endure with fortitude and resignation whatever falls to his lot.. It often sur prises me to see men who after having all the facilities that were offered to them to learn what was to be required of them after becoming soldiers by their own free act and professing to a degree of patriotism that would cause them to leave home with its many comforts for the battle field, wounds, scars, and all the etceteras accompanying the army complain when they are required to perform any duty which is required of them. From such men I often turn away in disgust We have many such men but have a few who never complain or attempt to evade their duty. men to whom it is only necessary to say “do” and have it immediately done without ask ing why they should do so. It is unnecessary to give my opinion of those. Yours would coincide with it. True, we have to perform many duties which are irksome to me and which seem unnecessary but I have no right to question them. I have sworn to obey my superior officers. and if I but perform what they order, be it right or wrong I shall not be held accountable One of the most unpleasant features of military life is its utter despotism. One man if he only has money and influence enough to procure a comission and the Eagles upon his shoulders, while he holds a command, holds too, the destiny of a thousand men in his hands. He can elevate or depress them at his own will and discretion to gratify some personal pique or work some personal advancement.. Private, “non commish.” and com missioned officers are alike, compelled to submit to his as far as the affairs of the regt are concerned, absolute despotism.. It needs but a slight offence or even pretext to throw an officer from his command and either deprive him of his commission or keep him confined to his quarter for months.. The same but more forcibly and less appealable are the powers of those whose rank is des ignated by stars.. The worst hardships we have thus far endured are scarcity of provisions for ourselves. and forage for our horses the last much worse than the former.. We seldom see potatoes although they are allowed by the Regulations of the army twice a week. Fresh beef we have not seen since leaving Washington, and many articles which the government agrees to, and in some instances does furnish we have never seen.. Our living consists of bread either hard or soft, but oftener hard, beans, pork, salt-beef, sometimes rice, or as we have sometimes had dried apples or peaches, which are a great luxury For breakfast we have bread, meat, and coffee for dinner bread, beans, and bean soup. some times pork.. for supper bread, coffee, and rice or fruit when we have them. Today I breakfasted on bread and butter, dined on the same, and now as I write I munch soft bread for supper with neither coffee or water. Butter can be bought of our Sutler for fifty cents a pound, and as he Keeps a good lot always he finds quite a ready sale for all he has.. Our horses fare much worse than we for they often have neither hay nor oats and often have to drill half a day without a mouthful.. This is not because hay and grain is not plenty enough, but because we have not teams enough belonging to the regt or because they are used to transport property belonging to the Field and Staff “in preference to any thing else and in breaking camp at any place the first thing loaded is their tents and camp equippage. and commissary and forage stores the last thing. So that often they go nearly 36 hours without a wisp of hay or a grain of corn.. Is it any wonder they are poor Their “fluted sides and the polished knobs on their hips” are none of their faults. nor in the majority of cases of the men who take care of them but of the rather are they victims of some despotic Col whose whole body and brains is of less value to the government and the cause than one of their limbs. and who by his desire to make a show and be sure that his own precious head is covered and stomach well filled neglects them and thus causes a greater loss to the government than if he himself was killed or captured.. Yesterday morning no oats were to be had at the Quartermasters and as some of our company had the day before helped to unload a boat carrying oats and hay for us. Capt Walker was ordered to take his company and go to the place and each man taking a sack of oats on his horse pack them to camp. The distance was nearly five miles and on reaching there we tied our horses to the bales of hay. also giving them good rations of oats.. The rest of the regt without anything for their horses drilled from 9. to 12. .. About 4 Oclock in the afternoon the entire regiment was ordered to go to the same place and bring what oats they could.. When our com pany was nearly ready to start Lieut Brigg recieved orders to take 12 men and go to Dumfries as a patrol Thinking I would rather do that than go after [illegible in original] oats I asked permission to accompany him which was granted.. The distance was about 15 miles mak ing a ride of 30 miles.. We reached camp again about 11 Oclock without any adventure.. although we heard that seventeen rebels had been up there a few nights since and stolen some horses.. The country through which we passed is much the best I have seen in Virginia We crossed the Occoquan creek or river. at Occoquan Village near the head of Occoquan Bay. which consists of about a dozen houses. some thing of them having once been quite pretty dwellings but now nearly all deserted and reminding one while passing through its quiet and lonely streets of some village of the eastern countries. so fitly described by many travellers.. It is built on the bank of the river and under the banks which rise many feet above it.. causing one to look twice to see the sky. The river here is about 15 rods in width and is crossed by a ferry. The banks on this side are high and rocky and a small of men in the houses in the village body ^ could defend the ford against an army of many thousand.. coming from this way. and a few pieces of artillery placed on the hills on the other side could prevent a large army from approaching from the other way.. Half a mile below the village is a small fort built to prevent vessels from coming up the bay.. Rifle pits prevent approach on all sides.. The country through which we passed has not suffered so much from the desolating effects of the army as the country between this place and Washington In many places are fences and buildings in good preservation and I saw yesterday and day before several pieces of winter wheat, the first I have seen in Virginia.. They were quite poor looking yellow and sickly but bringing to memory the green fields which would greet our sight in Michigan. I saw yesterday also several beech trees the first I had seen since leaving Washington. It was quite a relief and con trast to the endless lines of small scrubby pines which meet the eye in every direction This country is not originally a piney country, but the pine is its second growth. Wherever there is a field that has been deserted a year or two small pines can be seen starting up.. but where there is a piece of country that bears its original growth of timber you will see small oaks chestnuts, hickory, and other kinds of timber common to a hilly sandy country.. from approaching from the other way.. Half a mile below the village is a small fort built to prevent vessels from coming up the bay.. Rifle pits prevent approach on all sides.. The country through which we passed has not suffered so much from the desolating effects of the army as the country between this place and Washington In many places are fences and buildings in good preservation and I saw yesterday and day before several pieces of winter wheat, the first I have seen in Virginia.. They were quite poor looking yellow and sickly but bringing to memory the green fields which would greet our sight in Michigan. I saw yesterday also several beech trees the first I had seen since leaving Washington. It was quite a relief and con trast to the endless lines of small scrubby pines which meet the eye in every direction This country is not originally a piney country, but the pine is its second growth. Wherever there is a field that has been deserted a year or two small pines can be seen starting up.. but where there is a piece of country that bears its original growth of timber you will see small oaks chestnuts, hickory, and other kinds of timber common to a hilly sandy country..