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Augusta County: Jedediah Hotchkiss to Sara A. Hotchkiss, July 5th 1861

Summary:
Hotchkiss relates the remainder of his journey to Camp Garnett, discusses his efforts to secure a position in the army, and describes his surveying work.


Sara A. Hotchkiss

Friday July 5th 1861

Camp Garnett, 7 miles west of Beverly, on Rich Mt.

My Dear Wife:

I have rcd. your three letters, a thousand thanks for them, the two first especially were fresh, sweet & good & I know you were wearied & blue when you wrote the last & I feel sorry that you have not all gotten well & that you are [unclear: recruiting] slowly & have to keep at home so closely. I had chances to send you word by Col Tusk, Bumgardner &c. & so have not written, why I will till you. We had a very pleasant time after we left Monterey -- saving the black gnats on Cheat Mt. & at Greenbrier River. I slept on the floor, simply wrapped in my cloak, at Greenbrier river, Yeager's, (the home of the fellow that came to came to go to school,) slept well, saving the gnat bites, as bad as fleas, The firs and yew pines on Cheat looked splendidly. I found it a good deal of labor to take proper care of my horses the next night, Saturday, we slept on the wagons 1 1/2 miles from Beverly -- had a good sleep, wrapped in my cloak on the top of the boxes, was only awakened once by Crawford, who was sleeping on the ground, crying out, in his sleep, dreaming, that a snake was around his neck. We were up Sunday morning by 4 A.M. & by 5 were on the way to Beverly, in the rain, by the way, at Huttonsville, we found the 1st troops, Mountaineers, about as dirty as the ground & eating black victuals out of black dishes, tin, out in the hot sun -- it gave a disgust for camp life. We rode across the Mt., Rich Mt., 9 miles to Capt. Sterret's camp, in the rain, Sunday, passing through Camp Garnett at 9 miles, Capt. S. being 2 miles from here, by himself. Mr. Arnold had got there & announced our coming. We found the "boys" encamped in the yard & occupying the houses of a Mr. Crane who is in the Wheeling Tory Convention, the yard has a good sod & fine shade trees & is a nice place. They fare well there, have good bread, & good sleeping places, but their duties are severe & they are always on the alert being an advanced post & liable to be attacked at any time, though they cannot be

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be surprised or cut off, for they have guards out 9 miles. It was noon Sunday when we got there & we were very tired & very dirty, got cleaned up & was resting some towards evening when, just after dark, news came that we were to be attacked in an hour -- the wagons were hustled round, harness strung out, of course, & things tumbled in in a hurry, I waded around in the mud & rain, got my horses harnessed & was ready to start, but no enemy came & we slept on our arms, going to rest at mid-night. Was up Monday morning at reveille, 4 o'clock, & fixed up the wagons &c, got a letter from Capt. S. to Col. Heck, commanding & started on horseback with Geo. Hanger & came up here, the Col. said he wanted me very much & would write to Gen Garnett at Laurel Hill to employ me for this Regt so we started on there, 24 miles from here, so we started on at noon, stopped at Beverly & found your sweet good letter, the second one, it made me feel happy & joyous, I sent it back to Sterrett, my love letter, that he might get the news as I had no time to write -- he told me afterwards that it was the best love letter he had seen for a long time, first rate (tell that to Allie.) We then went on to Gen Garnett's Camp, across Laurel Hill, though a mountain, we got there just at dark found the camp at the foot of the Mt with long lines of trenches dug around the sides of the Mt. for men to fire from, for more than a mile -- and hundreds of acres of trees cut down by the soldiers to enable them to have a fair field for a fight. We saw Gen. G. -- spent the night at Capt. Jordan's the Quarter Master, with Parkins of Augusta, the Engineer in Chief said he did not need any assistance, so we came on back & I found your 1st letter at Beverly, I got back Tuesday noon & [unclear: fixed] the teams off as soon as possible & started from Sterretts camp at 4 P.M. & drove to Beverly by dark, had a time generally at the one horse town, had a box to nail up, tore a board off the fence, cut it off with my knife, nailed it on with a shovel, with nails pulled out of a gun box got the wagoners encamped & started back to camp Garnett at 9 A.M.

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Just after starting I met a man who said they were making an attack on the camp & he was running away -- I went on though with my gun on my shoulder & came on to the top of the Mt. all quiet & I turned in there to the tent of the guard there, & slept with Donaghs -- Temperature 40 degrees & nearly froze my legs -- got up at 4 & walked 2 miles down to camp to get warm, got there & the Col. said I must stay & he would put me to work for him if no other way -- so I went to surveying the camp & making a map of it -- am to make my own charge -- I shall finally get a good situation, but it will pay no better than this & I am now one of the commander's Suite & sleep & eat at head quarters. Hoover is adjutant & we are going to have a tent of our own -- near the commander's. I have been at work at the survey all the time -- as the map is wanted soon -- so I have not written

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I hope you all are getting along well & are made comfortable -- I was joking Mrs. Gooch about getting well & taking a trip out here -- I saw her a minute only -- All the boys enquired after you. I shall send you some money by the first person that goes & that will be only a few days -- Write to me what you want to do -- I do not want you to work any so I will not say anything about putting up fruit. I suppose Augusta has been drafted by this time -- I must go & level a parade ground now, and have it leaded. The Col., Heck is a good fellow. I have written to the Whig about the paper it comes in my name & you see if Quidor keeps it because the postage is not paid. & pay him. Take care of it & all the papers for me. I told Stover & Glossbrenner to pay you -- But I have money & will send it the 1st safe chance. N. has money now & will get meat &c & I hope you will do better. I am glad you keep up so well -- try to keep in good spirits & write often & I will as often as I can. Bless the children how I want to see them -- they must be kind, good & think often of Pa -- & mind Ma well -- My love to all -- I hope Allie is better -- Capt S seems much exercised about her -- My love to all. God bless you & keep you -- Good bye--

Your loving husband

Jed. Hotchkiss



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