Augusta County: Jacob Kent Langhorne to His Father,
November 23, 1862
Summary:
Langhorne reports on his difficulties with math and complains about guard duty
and demerits.
Father
November the 23 1862
Virginia Military Institute
Dear Papa
I had to write to you today as I have been put in a lower section in Math. I commenced this letter yesterday and my heart was touched to the very core to think of telling you that I had been put in a lower section & As Professor Miller did not do me justice about it I went to see him about it and he looked at my marks before I went in the Hospital and found that I stood 3 in the section on Marks & I told him that I had not had time to get the rules that the boys had gone over whilst I was in the Hospital and that If I knew the rules I could keep up. He gave me a lesson in the rules & I hope now to take a higher position in my section than I ever have held yet.
Tuesday the 11th was the 23 anniversary of Institute & All duties were suspended & the day commenced as follows. The old Cadets hung & bucked every new cadet or rather Rats as they call us in Barracks. They got up between 4 & 5 and tried to catch us in bed but we knew something was out and we were up as soon as they. We had turkies Ham & Rice for dinner. The Beef Sergeant bought 40 odd turkeys for dinner & there is not more than 225 boys here and we ate them all up & every thing else in proportion.
Tell Uncle Archer I saw Mell yesterday. She says she wants 2 Winter dresses, says someone stole the only thick dress she had, says the Captain of the boat says he wants her next year, says he can get the money for her hire now if he wishes. She told me this yesterday and asked me to write to him.
I am getting rather tired of guard duty as I have to go on 1 every week & stand 3 hours guard at night 1/2 or 3/4 in the day besides having to march on & off. I have gotten 27 demerits but have only 3 Academic reports, some of the others are incorrect and a good many that I can get off with by writing excuses. One of the reports that I got 11 demerits for nearly half of which I have gotten was giving notice that the inspector was visiting which I think I can get off with it as the sentinals on post had always given notice to us that the inspector was visiting and it was 2 or 3 time I was on post and I thought it was my duty to give them notice. I haven't time to write more as I have to get ready for church. Goodbye, love to all both white & black,
remain your Attached son,
Kent
PS love to all at Edgehill. Mell told me yesterday that Emily told her that Will H was wounded is it so or not, love to cousin Milly & Hues, K.
