Augusta County: Jacob Kent Langhorne to his father,
September 13, 1862
Summary:
Langhorne describes the difficulties of life at VMI and asks about war, local,
and family news.
Father
September 13, 1862
Virginia Military Institute,
Dear Papa
I have been intending to write to you for several days but thought I would wait a day or two so that if I wanted anything from home I could write for them and very well I did as I want you to send me the books with the following names: Bolmar's Levizack's French Grammar, & Penney & Badois Practical french grammar & Dictionary, Modern and Ancient geography & atlas, Smiths & Dukes Arithmetic as it will be a great help to me in studying Algebra. They have allways had books here until this year and I don't know why they have not gotten them this year. Tell Ma to send me my gray Roundybout as we will not get our uniform for a month yet and perhaps more.
I reckon you think I spend half my time writing but I think so much of home and the dear ones there that I cannot help writing. I would give so much to see you all today. Tell Brother Jim and sister that they must not give out their trip to Natural Bridge this fall as it would disappoint me very much.
I am rooming now with Rough Griffin son of Dr. G of Salem and like him very much. About one half of the boys here are very nice boys the other half are perfect rowdies. When you write let me know how you are getting along on the farm and whether uncle Archer has heard from his horse and write me how Nanny looks. Please dont let anyone hack her about.
We are not regularly started with our studies yet will get straight by next week. I received Sisters letter last week the other day and was delighted to hear from home & to hear that Grandpapa & Uncle M had improved so much. Give my best love to uncle M. & Aunt Liz when you see them and tell them that I regretted not seeing them very much. What horse will Jimmy Armistead get.
Tell Sister I have been on guard twice once on police and once on fatigue. I don't mind police guard much as I don't have to stand long at a time but fatigue guard is very hard duty. You have to stand 2 hours at a time and then you are off 4 and [unclear: on ] 2. You are put on guard one morning at 6 and come off the next at 6 but that exempts you from drill or any other Military duty and from your studies also but I will not have to go on that kind of guard for a month yet. The other kind of guard does not exempt you from any duty whatever.
Please send me the papers when you send the books as I have only heard that there was a battle at Manassas and one in Kentucky and that is all I know about it. I have made on Algebra this week 10 1/2 3 being the highest mark and I missed one day the day I was on fatigue guard. I consider the mark very good as I never studied algebra before and don't understand how to work by letters. I don't know what I got on my other studies as our marks were not read out to us in French and geography but I hope and trust that they are good. I would like to do well here as it is such a great thing for one to do well here.
They say no one can get furlough here unless they have been here 6 months. 6 months sounds longer to me now than 12 years did before. It is a sad thought to me to think of 6 months. Write me all the news when you write as I don't hear a word now. Tell uncle Archer to write to me and let me know how much copperas he is making a day. Write me how everything is going on the farm. Tell brother Jim I will write to him next but he must not [unclear: want] to receive one before he writes. Is he gaining his strength rapidly or not. Tell him that the Bridge will pay anyone for coming to see it. I didn't have time to look at it well I only stopped long enough to get my breakfast.
I feel very sick at my stomach every morning getting up so soon and drilling an hour before breakfast. We get up at five and go down to roll call having from 3 to 5 minutes to dress and roll up and strap our beds. We go to tattoo at half past 9 and the roll is called again then we have half an hour to fix down our beds and undress. Tell Ma I always take time in that half hour to read my bible. Then the lights are tapped out and if there be light burning after the drum quits beating the orderly of the room gets 5 or 10 demerits for it & one of the boys in the room are made orderly every week and is responsible for any noise made in it and if any noise should be made in the room during study hours the orderly is reported for it and gets from 3 to 5 demerits for it or if any thing in the room should be out of order or out of place the orderly is reported for it. The inspectors of rooms visits 3 to 6 times a day.
Give my love to all at Cousin H[unclear: Hues ] > and at aunt Sarahs. You all must write often. Give my best love to all at home.
I remain as ever your attached son,
Kent.
