University of Virginia Library

Letter from Charles B. Senior to his Father, April 14, 1864

I received your
letter last night which is the second
one that I have had from you since
I left. If I had one each day
I should not get tired of opening
them & reading them if they are
from Iowa they are very welcome
visitors but like angels visits few &
far between I wrote a letter to you
yesterday but after I received this
I thought that I must write
again I have wrote quiet a number
to different persons in the country but
have received no answers We get
mail here every day It is then taken
to headquarters & each company's
mail given to that company's orderly
& then distributed by him. You
Perhaps remember Stewart the man
that went with Vanness when he
thrashed our grain some years ago

he stays in our shanty & is very sick
it is probably the measles that is
coming upon him if that proves to be
the case he will of course removed to
the hospital until he recovers James
Campbell & Uriah A Wilson have
both had them but they have got
about well again I received the
postage stamps that you sent me
but they were so stuck together that
I had to steam them to get them
separated they should be doubled face
to face to prevent them sticking.
You said something about Leonard
Parker having sold out did he ever
say anything to you about some money
that he owed to me for rail making
I made him 1880 rails & he only paid
me for 1500 when he counted them
There was a deep snow & he did not
find them all & he promised if he
found the rest he would hand the
balance of the money to you I know
that the rails are there & he should have
paid to you 3 dollars & 80 cents perhaps
he has but the next time you write
let me know I have got with a
good mess of boys 8 of us they are not a
swearing blackguarding set at all with
Stewart excepted They are quiet thereverse
more inclined to study & improve
their mental faculties we have had
several debating schools in our shanty
since we came here. & we study
grammar some & arithmetic one of our
mess sent to Fowler & Wells & got a
couple of Phonographic Books & we
are just beginning to see a dawn
of sense in that branch We have had
them only 4 or 5 days & were entirely
ignorant of it all of us so we are not
advanced in reading or writing it yet
Altogether we have received the name
of the literary squad which sounds
blackguarding shanty just below us
which is known by the name of
Gambling Saloon I have just been
down to the guard house & saw one
from the aforesaid place with his arms
tied & fastened in a standing position
& I thought that I would sooner
be studying grammar or Frognography
by which they try to ridicule us
than to be in his place for running
the picket lines or some other
misdemeanor. I am perfectly
well & hope that this may find
you all the same