Saturday, January 23, 2010

Final transcribed letter from Charles Personius

This letter is my personal favorite, as Private Personius describes an incident with the cook and some unruly artillery soldiers. The period humor and spirit really shines through here. Enjoy!

Elmira Sep 25th

Dear parents I now sit
down to write a few lines
to you I am as well as
usual & hope this will
find you all the same
I have not any news of
Importance to write about
We have not received
any bounty money since I last
wrote you though we are
expecting our state bounty
hourly . . there is a rumor
in camp that we go
tomorrow but I dont
believe that we will
get off this week
We live pretty good here
now though there is
complaints made by some
of the soldiers . . for instance
the other night one company of
artillery boys got a little
mad . . They said that their
company had to take up
with the leavings of other
companies so they went
into the cook room to
clean them out as they
expressed it they went
and got a hold of one of
them cooks and told him
to explain he said he
had nothing to do but hand d
out the bread another said
he had nothing to do but
eat it & so on . . it
appears that the two
principal cooks skedaddled
for some other quarter after
a deal of swearing and cursing
they went to their barrack
and waited one half hour
then they went back and partook
of a first rate supper &
I have heard of no complaint
since

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing that with us Kathy. How sweet. I wonder how old this boy was.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I enjoyed reading that, Kathy. I appreciate your interesting information on this blog!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kathleen,

    I always find it interesting the way letters and speech flowed back when.
    Thanks for posting the letter.

    ReplyDelete
  4. One cannot pass up a first rate supper!

    ReplyDelete
  5. How interesting - it's almost like a time machine and you can feel yourself sitting with him as he pens his words. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. thanks for visiting! Wish I had more of his letters--I'll have to go to the historical society and see if there are any more. ; )

    ReplyDelete
  7. These letters are so interesting. Thanks for sharing them so that we can be drawn in as well.

    ReplyDelete