University of Virginia Library

Letter from Charles Berry Senior to his Father, June 27, 1865

I will
write a few lines to let you
know I am well, and I
hope you may all be in the
enjoyment of good health. We
are still at the same camp
ground about 6 miles east of
Louisville. I don't know how
long we shall remain here but
I hope we shall soon be permitted
to go home. Six men of our
company are gone home on furlough.
The orders are to furlough 12 per
cent of the army. I see that some
of this army are to be mustered
out. I don't venture to say who

it may be, nor dont make any
calculations. disappointment
has already been deep enough
but still I hope that we might
be once lucky I hope that I
shall get home sometime this
summer. It is the general
impression that our regiment
stands a good chance as they
are one of the oldest veteran organ
izations, only one regiment from
Iowa being older, the 2nd
I had made calculations of
spending the 4th of July some where in Iowa but that
cannot be. They are making
quiet extensive preparations
at the Louisville fair grounds
for celebrating the 4th I
presume we will be nearer
Louisville than Iowa
I remember how we spent the
last 4th down on the Chatta
hoochie, exposed to shell and
bullets while we were throwing up
breastworks we made remarks, and wondered
where we would be next 4th. Well
things are much changed for
the better since then and I
can spend this 4th more pleas
antly probably than the last
yet I think the next 4th will
be better yet The weather
is very warm here but here
we have a good camp with
splendid beech shade trees
to lounge under on the grass, I
have not heard from you since
leaving Washington I have
wrote a number of letters
I suppose you were expecting
me home, but never stop writing
till I get there. There has
happened quiet a slip between
the cup and the lip.[1]
We are camped near the
Woodlawn race courses, where
trotting matches are going on
I have not been since the running
races closed which was 2 weeks
ago, trotting only commenced
yesterday. I had the luck
of seeing the fastest horses
in America run, one Asteroid
that has never been beat, but
I must close, as I know of
nothing more at present