Camp of Detachment of 52nd 
			near Louisville Ky Oct 6 1862

Dear Sister
 	I received your letter last 
night also one from Charlie. I was so glad to 
hear from you both that I almost cried. 
Our regt has been transferred, or rather our 
brigade has been, to the 11th division under 
[Brig?] Gen Sherridan. Our brigade is the 36th.	
Col Dan McCook of 52nd regt acting 
brig Gen. The division is now on Salt river. 
Skirmishing every day and doing good service. 
I have been sick with dysentery but am 
feeling better. I stand with the regt as long as 
I could stand up, then was sent in Co
with Lieut Brent to this camp to take 
charge of a detachment, composed partly 
of men not fit for duty & partly of men who 
have got strayed away from the regt in the 
different skirmishes, & have been sent here 
to await an opportunity to join the regt 
again. We have 94 men a Surgeon & [asst?]
surgeon, One Lieut & myself. I have all 
the camp duties to attend to, such as 
making out the guard detail, detailing 
squads of men and sergeants to command 
them for fatigue duty, drawing rations &
forrage from the Post Commissary & 
Quartermasters, Clothing, blankets & in
short the Lieut puts on so much style that 
he can do nothing but ride to town chat 
with the ladies and smoke in the shade of 
the trees. However I get along pretty well

but as soon as I think I can stand marching 
double quicking up hill and hurrahing every jump, 
and lying on the ground without any tent, being 
called up in line of battle two or three times 
every night after marching all day on three hard 
crackers, I shall ask permission to join the regt.
I am having pretty good times here, or it would 
be good times if I was well and strong. I am 
very weak & cannot eat anything to give 
me strength. If I eat a little too much or
not the proper quality of food I am sick 
all night. The two grand remedies used by 
our Surgeon are rheubarb & opium neither 
of which ever did me any good except perhaps 
keep my spirrits up on a hard march. 
I can always tell when we have got double 
quicking to do, with a prospect of a fight 
to wind up with, the Surgeon’s steward comes 
round and feeds opium to those who are 
nearly used up. Lieut Brent & I are 
putting on all imaginable style here,
he is acting Col being in command of 
the detachment. I am his adjt, being 
next in command, he says I must do 
all the duties of adjt & I obey him to the 
letter. We have reville at six oclock 
breakfast at seven Guard mounting at nine 
retreat at six [?] at eight taps or lights-
out at nine. We go through with all the formali-
ties of a full battalion and do it according 
to regulations too. We have all the tents
belonging to the regt, so that we are not 
crowded, also plenty of blankets & clothing of 
all kinds. We bring the boys right up to

regulations. If they violate them they go to 
the guard house sure, but we take pains to see
they have every thing that the regulations 
allow & that suits them better than then the 
careless manner in which such things have 
been done. The Capt never got half what 
belonged to us because he was too indolent 
to attend to it at the proper time. 
I have got a good horse which I “confiscated” 
from a Secesh the other day and which I shall 
keep until I join the regt when I shall present 
it to Col Dan to keep from being forced 
to turn it over to government. There are 
detachments from six regts encamped here 
so that we have plenty of neighbors, 
but they, instead of improving the oppor-
tunity to learn to perform the duties of 
field officers as Brent & I do, lie round 
in the shade, and let their men steal 
pigs & chickens and get drunk at pleasure. 
One of the 125th Ill boys attempted to 
pass our guard lines last night and was 
shot by the sentinel on duty. he had 
been out after a canteen of whiskey & 
it was nearer for him to go through our 
camp to get to his & he was drunk 
enough to try it. [?] the sentinel 
halted him three times & then fired 
he was within ten feet of him & shot 
him through the shoulder, the wound 
is not fatal & will learn him a lesson. 
I cannot write any more at 
present, write often please. I am 
thankful for those stamps as they are 

difficult to procure. address as 
usual. 
	Sergt H. B. Jewell Col K 52nd 
regt [?] to follow the regt 
Lieut Brent [apoints?] the men & keeps 
out what belongs here before sending
it is the regt. I would give any thing 
to see [illegible] I am glad he was 
not sent here. The service is much harder
than that which he is on & I do not think 
he could stand it, we have only 40 
men in my Co left to drill out of 98 who 
left Camp Dennison or rather who 
left Covington with us, fit for duty. 
Give my love to all my friends & tell 
Will to let out what money I have 
left after paying my debts, to the best 
advantage he can, if he does not want 
it himself, if he does I would rather 
he would have it than anybody else 
& without interest. 
		H. B. Jewell