Franklin County: Samuel M. Potter to Cynthia Potter,
September 5, 1863
Summary:
Potter announces that he has recovered from his illness and explains in detail
how he and his fellow soldiers cook food in camp. He also responds to his wife's
suggestion of buying some property.
Cynthia Potter
Sept. 5th 1863
Camp 16th Pa. Cav. Near Sulphur Springs Va.
Dear Cynthia
Your most welcome letter dated August 28th was received yesterday evening & I was glad to hear that you are all well. It has been some time since I heard from you. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with the mail of our Corp, as I understood the 2nd Corp mail had been robbed. I got a letter the other day that you had written while I was sick & sent to the care of John Milligan (& by the way he is quite unwell now) inquiring about my sickness as I was stout & hearty when it arrived & you had been informed of the improvement of my health I did not answer it. You wish to know if I am quite well now. Well I can assure you that it is the best that it has been in years & in regard to what I get to eat. It is better living than I have had since I came out. We have corn syrup or fried corn or have it roasted. Every day we have green beans, corn & pickled pork cooked together an excellant dish. We draw potatoes & roast them or cook them any way we like for breakfast. Several days back we have had our potatoes pared & an onion or two & sliced & then after frying our meat we put them in with it & pour on some water & let them stew down cooking soft with a rich gravy. Then our cup of coffee & my dish of elderberries & fox grapes stewed with plenty of sugar to season & our soft bread (as we are getting it now) makes a good enough meal for a soldier. The boys are all living well now. We got some pickled cabbage from the commissary the other day & I dont think any of them care for it. As far as food & clothing are concerned there are thousands of soldiers better provided for here than they would be at home. You ask if I think the boy is pretty. He is quite good looking in the picture & the mother I suppose is not bad looking at least if the picture is a good one. I reckon you think she is quite a beautiful lady. Well maybe you are not far wrong. About George McDavid. He was not seriously ill. When I was with him in dismounted camp his stomache & liver were deranged having a diarrhoea of billious character. When he went to Doctor's call in the morning the most he complained of was the diarrhoea & all they gave him was Camphor & Opium mixed (a very good remedy in simple diarrhoea but doing his stomache & liver no good. His color was good. Neither did he appear to lose flesh much but complained of palpitation of the heart at times & I think that was hurting him as he had a certificate formula from a Doctor of New Brighton that his heart was diseased which would scare him some & make him think he would not be fit for active service. Now my opinion is that if his stomache & liver were all right his heart would not bother him any. You speak of buying the Dougherty property for 125 dollars & ask me what I think of the bargain. Well it will take a sum of money you will have to pay for the property & to improve it will pay your rent where you are & then we will have a chance for getting a better location for business, for if you put the money into it it maybe a good number of years before you can get it out again. You know best if there is any speculation in it if you could sell it after awhile for more than you put into it. Such property did not sell very good in Good Intent. You would know better than I would if there is any demand for it now. I dont think there is anything to be gained in buying. Write me more about it in your next. Is the place improving any. Are there any mechanics or other business men coming to settle in it & how are those doing who are doing business in it. How are the stores Flourishing. Have they good stocks of goods & is there much custom coming to the place or do the farmers go to Scrabble, Claysville, Knoxes, Burnsville or Washington. Bell wants to know where Pa is when it is raining. If you would spread a sheet over a pole raised about six feet from the ground she would have some kind of an idea of the house I live in. We have been blessed this fall with the finest kind of weather. It is delightful. Cool enough to be pleasant & dry. Our camp is in a grove quite shady & cool. I have a bunk in our tent & some hay in coffee sacks making a delightful bed & as I have told we have plenty to eat of the best. We have been in this camp about 2 weeks. Have good water. Can go to the river & take a bath or go to the springs & drink Sulphur water if we like. The men in the companies have some duty to do. They have to ride 20 or 30 miles some days on a scout. (now and then not every day). At this time they are out on picket. We have the lame & sick in camp. Tell Josey if he wants to soldier put his cup full of water on the fire. Let it boil. Put in a spoonful of coffee & let it burn his fingers when it boils over & he tries to take it off. Then take a piece of fat pork. Get a rod about 2 feet long. Sharpen one end & stick it in the pork. Then hold it over the fire. The grease dripping will make it blare. Nicely roast his meat a little then put some water over it it to wash off the salt which the fire draws out. Then hold it over the fire again & it is done & very good it will be to eat if he has not had anything to eat since yesterday morning. That is our style of cooking sometimes on the march. Then if he wants a bed let him go into a fence corner when it rains. Put a blanket on the ground, an over coat over him & an oil cloth over all & let it rain. We dont have it often that way. At Gettysburg we got to camp after dark one night & Dr. Miller & I made such a bed but happened to make it in a hollow. About 3 oclock in the morning we awaked in about six inches of water & just remembered the old adage early to bed & early to rise so we thought we would rise early from our soft bed, built a large fire & enjoyed early rising. Lucy would not have much to do in the way of washing dishes as she would be scolded for breaking any. I think I will be able to make good cooks of you all after I get home. As our house is open at both ends I would not want you to be here when it is raining & the wind blowing hard I am afraid your clothes would get damp but some of these nice days I think I would like to see them playing around this nice place. You need not come though for I would not know where to get a chair for Jimmy to push around & then if we do get a chair it would catch in the roots of a tree in our floor & he would not like that. You tell me to ask the Captain for a furlough. I see you dont know much about it. In the first place I would write out a form, the Doctor would sign & then send it to the Colonel who would approve it, the Adjutant would then send it to the Brigidier General. He must approve it, then it is to be sent to the General of our division. He must approve it & then it would be sent to General Pleasanton Commanding the Cavalry Corps & he approves it & send it back the same route. In about 2 weeks it come back if they all approve it written all over inside & out. They are not giving any at all now. It was through the influence of [deleted: Gen] Col & Gregg that I got one in July & that was not a furlough but an order to be absent for a number of days, which I am sorry I did not get as it came back to regiment while I was sick in Maryland Harpers Ferry & Miller thought I was in a Baltimore Hospital so he mailed it to Baltimore & I did not get it. I do not hope to get one until cold weather sets in. The Post Master will soon be here so I will close & take a ride down to the river as I have been writing all day making out reports etc.
Your most affectionate husband & father
S.M. Potter
