Letter from Charles N. Tenney to Adelaide E. Case, December 14, 1861 | ||
Letter from Charles N. Tenney to Adelaide E. Case, December 14, 1861
Dec 14th 1861
Lest you toss all knowledge
of our whereabouts, I again send you a few
lines. We are well and in good spirits, but
as yet uncertain as to where we
shall be
sent. We are now under Brig. Gen.
Kelley's
command and he was to come to us yester-
day, but owing to illness he did not
come,
consequently we are now awaiting orders.
I must give you a brief account of our
ride from Parkersburg, where I wrote to you on
the 9th. We left that place at 5 O'clock P.M.
in low freight cars. There
are three seats
in each car running lengthwise of the car.
Two cars
were allowed to a company. Of the
country through which we came that
night
I know but little save that is very rough,
amounting even to the
mountainous. You can
judge of that when I say that we passed
through thirteen tunnels in twenty-seven
miles. We passed
through Clarksburg about
half past three in
the morning. Here is where
we left the R. R. when we came into Va.
Just (there isn't that a beautiful letter?)[1] before
day light
we passed through Grafton, and
just as the silver beams
of morning were scattering darkness
away, we were
instantaneously plunged into total darkness; an
interval
of several minutes, and as suddenly we
emerged into
almost broad daylight. We had passed through a
tunnel seven eighths of a mile in length.
We stopped at Oakland in Maryland and cooked
our
breakfast, dinner and supper. About ten A.M. we
again started on, and arrived at Cumberland, Md.
just at dark. Here we were warmly welcomed
by hundreds of Ladies and
gentlemen, we re-
mained here about half an
hour, and then we
were dragged on by our tireless Iron horse
to Green
Spring Run where we now are.
Now dear Addie, imagine yourself a soldier
jolted
along for hundreds of miles in a cold uncom-
fortable freight car, night and day, and then when
you stopped
be obliged to lie wherever you could
perechance in a cold corner of a car, or
perhaps
"en bivouack" by the side of a fire which
you must
often replenish, or freeze. Suppose for a moment
you were
there situated and you have some idea
of our way of living. We are now
without tents
but expecting new ones every day.
But you remember the old adage "there
is no great loss without
some small gain."
Although we will have probably less pleasure here
than
if we had staid at Charleston, yet I have had an old
wish realized, that of
visiting the valley of the
upper Potomac. From Oakland we descended into the
valley. From this point the scenery
was delightful
still I think I seen that more beautiful,
but none
so grand and wild. Hillsides were covered with
rocks on one
side, while on the other they were
covered with fertile fields. Here were
abrupt preci-
pices hundreds of feet high
and here luxuriant valleys.
I would give much to see this region of country
in
the height of Summer.
You would laugh if you could see us, Hal
& I sitting under a straw-stack He
engaged in
writing a letter to his friend the "Democrat," and
I one to
my friend "the Lovely."
Well. Hal has finished his letter & is
now
waiting for me. I don't care: he can wait for me
or go to the
other boys. Am I not independent?
I would like to see you now. I suppose you
have sleighing now, do you not?
Please take
one ride for me, will you not, and be happy and
joyous as
you can. I know you remember me
for I seem to feel your presence every day
and
night. I never felt happier in my life than since
I knew you loved
me well enough to style your
self my sister; am
I worthy of being called a brother?
Hal is now writing another letter while I am done.[2]
Is Laurie well? and your mother and Father?
How
is Oil-dom generally? By the bye, I learn of a
new use for Mecca Oil.
A Mr. Trowbridge of
Meadville Pa has applied for a patent for a new
bomb-shell. A quantity of Rock Oil is put into
the shell with the Powder so when the shell
explodes
the oil ignites and fires whatever it touches.
Novel is it
not?
What do you think of the movements of Gen.
McClellan? Is his policy one of those brilliant actions
which
characterized the first Napoleon?
And Gen. Halleck too? What do you think
of his
grand withdrawl of troops from central Mo?
Perhaps though, as Price's plan is to remove the
field
to Kansas. Halleck
wishes to lure him back
to Missouri, and
severely whip him but he is not
Fremont. I suppose from henceforth you will
anxiously look for tidings from the army of the
Potomac, instead of that of Westim
Va. Very natural
though. I hope Gen. McClellan
will begin to draw
in the lines which he has so successfully extended
around the Rebels, soon, and if he does you may
look for exciting news from
the Potomac.
But I fear this is getting uninteresting to you, if
indeed you can read it
all. But perhaps you
will excuse me, and if as Paddy says " If you can't
rade this pleze sent it
back."
You will write soon, will you not? and
direct your letters to me in leave
of Capt. Arper,
7th
Ohio Reg't. Valley of Virginia Via Cumberland.
When you write, please write me a good long
letter
and remember you are writing to one
who loves you dearly, and would if
necessary die for
you.
present.
in the smoke, so please excuse the poor writing.
Respects to all & Love and Heavens blessings for the dearest
Addie.
Letter from Charles N. Tenney to Adelaide E. Case, December 14, 1861 | ||