Chauncey Austin Smith enlisted in the 111th NY Vol. Infantry, from Cayuga County on August 26, 1864, until the close of the war.  During this time, he wrote many letters home, to his wife Fanny in Hannibal. 

They are an interesting and historical account of the life and struggles of an everyday soldier during the civil war, filled with tales of their labor, danger, sufferings, and the loneliness for home.  As Sandy wrote, "Some of his letters to Fanny and the kids were heart wrenching, you could just feel his missing them."  After the war, Chauncey was very active in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), and was often asked to speak at meetings. 

     These wonderful letters, the speech written by him for a GAR meeting, and his family biography and photograph, was generously contributed by Sandy Sharp, his ggg- granddaughter.  Many thanks and appreciation to Sandy, for all her hard work and effort to put this together and to share this information with us.  Sandy says that she is willing to help anyone who might tap into this line. 
You may contact her at:  volleybird@juno.com

Dear Wife and Children:

     I will now devote a little time to speak a few words to you by letter. You may guess that I want to hear from you and the children very much.  You can write me as often as you please and I shall be sure to get all your letters without fail.  I hope that you and the children are all well and in good spirits.  If I hear in the affirmative I shall be in good cheer, if inthe negative I shall feel sad.  Write to me all of the particulars, how you and Grant get along with the corn and potatoes.  I think that you had better commence husking corn and digging potatoes soon or before the weather gets too cold to make it too tedious for you.

     I told you in my last letter that I would give you all of the particulars and history of my journey from New York State to Dixie but time will not permit me to do so.  I will say this much, that I had a good and safe journey to Camp Washington where I shall in all probably remain for some time.

     I am in:  Company F  111th Regiment, New York Volunteers, First Division, Second Corps. Washington, District of Columbia.

     I am in good quarters, have enough to eat and drink and am growing fat every day.  My rations are beef, pork, hard tack, good coffee, potatoes and onions, all the sugar I want, and bakers bread. 

     The boys that I became acquainted with in Camp Auburn are scattered in every direction and but one of them remains with me. His name is John Howard of Wayne County, Town of Rose.  A better man I never become acquainted with.  We have our tent pitched and live together, all alone, but have frequent visits from boys of other camps.  We cook our own beef, pork and potatoes and make our own coffee.  Bread and hard tack are all ready for use.  I drill for hours each day, have not been detailed for picket duty yet.  I like the climate here well, it is just warm enough to be pleasant.

     I have been down within six miles of the Rebels line and saw the bomb shells fly and drop down and explode within twenty rods of where I stood.  I went to see the places where it struck.  It made a chasm in the ground large enough to bury six men.  Our camp is well fortified and is shell and bomb proof.  I have nothing to fear from bullet or shell as long as I remain inside of the fortification.

     I sent you three dollars in last letter and now send you twenty dollars by express to Fulton, Oswego County, N.Y.  It is directed to Fanny A. Smith. You will have to send to the express office to get it. It is all in green-backs.
     Write to me all the particulars.

    Yours with love and regard.

    Chauncey A Smith.

P.S. Direct your letter to:
   Chauncey Austin Smith,
    Company F, 111th Regt, N.Y.V.
     1st Division 2nd Corps,
      Washington, D.C.

You had better get the Postmaster to direct the letter
for you.
       C.A.S.

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Letter #2

Dear Fanny and little ones with love and respect,

     I will be a little more explicit in telling you of my location in this letter than I was in my other.  I expected when I left you that I should see you all once more before I left for the seat of War.  I have been in service as a soldier long enough to know that a soldier has no rights, he is liable to be called from one place to another at any moment, not knowing what place he is liable to be led.  You know that when I left you I expected to go to Washington, but instead of going there I have been taken right to the front where skirmishing and fighting is going on more or less every day and night.  There is no hour of the day nor of the night but what I hear the report of cannon and firearms.  Just at this moment the sound salutes my ear, in fact, the sound has become so frequent that I think no more of it than I would of the sound of the ticking of a clock.  The Rebs are shelling us every day and night and we are doing the same to them.  My Regt. is only one half mile from Petersburgh and our picket line is only thirty rods from the enemies picket line, but there is no danger of being shot by the enemies pickets if we are careful to keep our heads and hands down behind the breastworks.  Last night there were two of our pickets shot for sticking their heads up over the breastworks.  I have not yet been called out on picket duty and am willing to share my part with the common soldier in the dangers of the field.  You must not grieve yourself nor borrow any trouble about me for I think that I can lie as close to the ground as any squad in time of danger if necessary.

     Tuesday night I was called on with some ten others of Company F to do fatigue duty.  Fatigue duty is to strengthen the fortifications in front and is always done in the night.  It would not be safe to do it in day light.  I have been honored for doing fatigue duty two nights.  The first night I was out, our officers told us greeneys that when we see a shell acoming we must not run or dodge.  I made up my mind that I should play the dodge if necessary.  It so happened that the first shell that came over from the Rebs came pell mell square amongst the officers and such running and dodging I nor any one else ever see.  So you may guess and guess right that such a shout went up from us poor privates that it nearly drowned out the noise of the cannon but it so happened that no one was hurt very seriously.  Since this event I have not heard a word against privates dodging.

     Monday night Mr. Ferris and Mr. Mainard of Lysander came in camp.  I was glad to see their familiar faces.  That night they came in, the "lightening bugs" or bomb shells flew in every direction.  I think that Mr. Mainard was the scartest man that I ever saw.  The next morning he undertook to write to his family but he was so excited that he had to postpone writing for the present.

     I have much to write but I must bring this to a close.  I am well and wish you all the same good blessing.  Newton Ferris is tenting with me and I find his company agreeable.  John Howard remains with me yet, he seems like a brother.  We three will keep together through the whole year if we can.  I sent my vote to Mr. Ketchem to deposit for me in the coming election. 

     Write immediately after you get this and tell how you get along.
       Yours with love.

Tell Clarissa, Grant, Genet and little Lottie I have not forgotten them all.
Kiss them all.
       C.A. Smith

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Letter #3

Dear Wife and Children:

     I now sit down again to drop a few words to you and tell you that my tent is still on the ground of strife.  No day passes by but what some poor soldier is called away suddenly by fire arms to fill a soldiers grave.  Yesterday three shells from the Rebels batteries dropped into our camp and exploded killing two men and wounding several.  The shells fell some twenty rods from our tent.

     I suppose that you would like to know to what army I belong.  It is Hancock's corps, this line extends from Petersburgh to City Point, a distance of about twelve miles.  The one hundred and eighty-fourth regiment  to which Mr. Scott* belongs is in Hancock's corps.  They are only about five miles from our camp on our right towards City Point.  The line is so strongly fortified by breast works and forts that we have I think but little to fear from an attack by the enemy although they throw some shell amongst us every day and night, causing us all to be constantly on the lookout for such unwelcome visitors.  This trick of throwing shell or missiles of death is played by both armies.  Some days our batteries throw a constant stream of shell and mortars over to the Johnnies or in at the Rebels camp doing perhaps far more damage to them than their shells are injuring us.  We have but little to fear from the shells for the reason that they can always be seen by the light of the fuse and always look like so many flying stars in the night.  If we are on the lookout, we can always see them in time to dodge them but the mortar shot cannot be seen in time to make a dodge and they sometimes make fearful havoc amongst us.

     I am now looking for a letter from you every day for the boys who came with me from Auburn here, all of them received a letter from their wives.  I hope that you will not delay one moment in writing. Mr. Ferris and John Howard and myself take the semi-ly weekly Tribune to read so that we get all of the war news.

     While I am now writing I can hear the sound of Butler's artillery on the left of us fighting the enemy.  May we have success and give the Rebs a good shipping.  I suppose that you heard of Sheridan's success over Early, etc.  It is now half past two o'clock and our company has been ordered out to attend church.  We have preaching every Sunday in camp.  My health is good and I wish that you and all are enjoying the same blessing.  I must come to a speedy close.  Write all of the news in general, talk to all of the children for me and give them for me a double kiss.

      Yours with love and great esteem.
      C.A. Smith

* Burr Bradley Scott (1823-1917), Chauncey's daughter Nettie's future father in law.

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Letter #4

Dear Wife and Children:

     Yours of the 20th has just come to hand.  You cannot begin to think how glad I was to hear from you and know that you are all well.  I would not take 500 dollars for the letter.  I am glad to hear that you got along so nicely with the corn and potatoes and other work.  Be careful and get the corn and potatoes in dry and in good order.  I have just been writing a letter to (Fanny's) Father about the mare, I think I would not sell her for any less amount than what you asked Wigen for her, $130 dollars.  If we will give you that for her I would advise you to let her go.  She will be worth next spring $150. Tell Mr. Wigen if he wants her for $130 just as she is that he can have her.

     I wrote you a letter on last Saturday of my situation in front of the enemy.  We Hold the fourth of July here every day and night.  There is not a day passes but what we hear the sound of cannon and musketry.  There is not a day passes by but brings to my ears the sad news that some of our Regiment has been shot or killed and laid in a soldiers grave.  Our camp is right on the battle ground where the mine was sunk to destroy the Rebel Fort.  Shells are now flying over from the Rebs to our camp. 

    I have just come to my tent from a drill.  John, my friend was out on fatigue duty in the night in company with Newton Ferris, for those who are on fatigue duty in the night are exempt from drill the next day.  Newton has just come in from the post office with the Tribune.  I asked him if the news of Sheridan's last victory was in the paper.  He said, "Yes", so we all sat down in the tent to hear the good news read.  I think that another such victory over the Rebs with the election of Abraham will close the war (God grant that it may)  While Mr. Ferris has been reading, seven have passed over our camp from the Rebel Battery and not a great way over either, but I am thankful that as yet today no one has been hurt.   Last night a soldier was shot in Company B in the leg, but think that the wound will not prove serious.

     Our camp ground and the ground our Regiment drills on is full of the graves of dead soldiers who were killed here in the battle of last June.  It makes me feel sad to see how little feeling and sympathy is felt for the brave soldier who gives his life for his country but so it is with the inhabitants of this wicked and vain world who are in a state of sin and wickedness.

     I told you in my last letter we had a breast works and fortifications to protect us from the enemy but there is one spot in our camp that is exposed to the Rebel pickets.  They, the Rebs, occupy one spot in their picket line which overlooks our breast-works and in a clear day they can get a peep at some of us.  I have not yet been called to do picket duty but I expect to be called upon at every detail that is made.  I have no fears to act in that capacity for all the boys say that there is not so much danger on the picket line as there is in the camp.  I must come to a close now.

     I want you to take good care of your health and also of the children, give my best to them all.  I felt sad this morning when I saw the soldiers getting letters from their friends and none for me, and then my name was called and I began to feel as though I were at home once more.

Do write often.
       Chauncey A. Smith

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Letter #5

Dear Wife and Children:

     It is five days since I have written to you with pencil and it seems to me almost two months.  I now sit down on a log in the woods to write with pen and ink a few words to inform you that I am well but as to telling you where I am it would be quite a hard matter.

     When I wrote to you before I was in Fort Alexandria.  Did not remain there but two days and a half, doing garrison duty.  Thursday noon a fight commenced about three miles on our left, on the Danville railroad and the sixty-nine Regiment of Massachusetts was ordered to leave for the field of strife, they being on picket duty in the woods near the enemies line.  So that most of my regiment were called upon to pick up our duds, such as our tent and all of our cooking tools in weight about 65 pounds, and fill the place made vacant by the Massachusetts Boys.  We started from Fort Alexandria at about seven o'clock in the rain for the picket line.  Could not go in the day time without being exposed to the Rebel sharp-shooters on their picket line. 

     Just as we commenced our march it began to rain and a darker night I never saw.  Our March was across lots and through wood and underbrush and fallen timber and rifle pits, with no light to guide our footsteps, for a light would have exposed us to the fire of the enemy pickets, and a march as we had, I hope I never see again.  Newton Ferris said that he had been in the army almost three years and remarked to me that it was about as hard a time as he had seen in his whole service.  If it had been light I should have seen a good many stumbles but as it was I could only hear the grunts and falls of the poor soldiers.  I think that I did not take but one rest on the march and come up all right without a scratch, leaving me to be more cautious in the future.  After we had traveled about two miles in the rain and through the mud with our heavy load we came in front of the Rebel pickets.  They, mistrusting our whereabouts, sent a volley of blue pills as they supposed at us, but it so happened that they went whistling in the air over our heads, to our great satisfaction, no one being hurt but a great scare. 

     We were then ordered to get into a more humble position.  There was no one present who felt himself so big but what was willing to take the lowest place in order to save himself from getting hit.  We lay on the ground with the rain pelting us for about two hours until the grey-backs stopped firing at us.  We were then ordered up again to march for the picket line which was about four miles distant and most all the way through the woods.  Some of the soldiers got so tired and wet that they had to fall out and did not get in until the next day, looking as though they had gone through with a severe fit of sickness and cursing the day that they enlisted into the army.  I got through all safe with the exception of a good soaking, feeling as happy as I could.  The picket ground is divided off into parts and are all numbered and extend on a line of sixteen miles, it so happened that we three, Mr. Ferris, John Howard and myself all got into port number nine. Every port is occupied by three soldiers, called Catepto (Cateflo?). Every one is on duty two hours and off four which is not very fatiguing.  Our position now is a good one and not much exposed to the enemies pickets on account of the timber.  We have a nice time here in the woods and keep a good fire all night which makes all things look pleasant.  I want you and the children to keep yourselves well and cheerful.  Do not give yourself any uneasiness about me for I have stood up thus far under all the hardships as well as any one in my company; did not take cold in the rainy march here.  I built up a good fire as soon as I got on my post and felt on the next morning as limber as ever.  In my next letter I will tell you something about the fight on our left which took place on last Thursday.  Such volleys of cannon and musketry I never before heard but as to the results of the battle I cannot now give you a correct account as the news is very conflicting.

     I want you to send me a good pair of woolen mittens as I am in need of them nights very much and when I get into winter quarters I shall want some of those dried peaches and blackberries for such things are fetching an enormous price.  Write all the news, the price of butter and produce.  (You must not trouble yourself about Mr. Rogers in the least.)  Tell him that you owe him nothing.

     My best wishes to you and the children and all inquiring friends.  Tell Lotta to write her letter, tell all of the children when I come home I will bring them a present.  Give them all a good kiss for me.
       C.A. Smith

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Letter #6

Dear Wife and Little Ones:

     Today is Monday, it rains a little so I have a little time to write a few words to you.  A soldier is a rover in every sense of the word.  Last Saturday morning after we had eaten our breakfast our Regt. was called to march to division head-quarters for general inspection, a distance of six miles from camp.  Got on inspection ground at 10 o'clock A.M.  We found a large army there for general inspection.  We were on examination about 2 hours and then started for home or camp, came in tired and hungry, fried some fat pork and beef for supper and sat down turk fashion on the ground and ate our rations like hungry pigs.  Then came a roll call and we supposed that would be all that would be wanted of us until the next morning.  Fell in bed about 9 o'clock, lay one hour, then came an order to take up tent, shoulder knapsack and march.  We soldiers knew not where for, soldiers must know nothing but hold up hands and salute officers.  We started on our march to the left of our lines, marched about one hour halted at the side of our rail-road which brings to us our rations from City Point.

     Col. Corning rode in front of us and told us to rest on our arms for one half hour and then be ready to take the cars for City Point.  This was good news to some of our soldiers (the raw recruits).  I stood by the side of an old soldier who understood officers talk.  He told me that our railroad ride would be darned fight somewhere on our line and it proved to be.  When the half hour was up, orders came to march, we heard no more of our railroad ride but marched directly to the front of our picket line and arrive there in time to save a break from the Rebels. When we got within about one mile of the line our soldiers began to smell gunpowder and some sneaked out thinking that it would not be very safe to get in range of rebel bullets.  We got on the lines about two o'clock, all was dark and nothing was seen but the flash of fire-arms.  Then came the time to try brave hearts and true soldiers.  I guess that I felt somewhat timid but made up my mind that I would rather die on the battle ground than to be called a coward or sneak out and run the risk of being arrested after the battle and called a coward.  Mr. Mainard of Lysander fell out for fear of getting into a fight and is now under arrest.  I would not be in his place for the best farm in Cayuga County.  Major Corning marched us up in front of the enemy as cool as though he was going to breakfast and told us what he wanted us to do.  The Rebels had a battery placed near our picket line which caused it to be exposed to a cross fire and this battery the Col. told us we must take or die in the attempt.  A Massachusetts Regiment was sent to attract their attention in the rear, while we were to attack in front. The thing worked to a charm, cannon and musketry were used freely on both sides, and the sound of them made the earth quake.

     We took the battery and suffered but little loss, three killed and 8 or 10 wounded.  We killed some forty of the Rebs, wounded 150 and took 40 prisoners.  It seemed to me like a large fight but it will be called only a light skirmish and hardly worth anything.  I must come to a close.  I want to write much but my house or tent seems desolate.  My health is good and hope you are enjoying the same blessing.  The children's names, I have to read them over and over every day and it cheers me up to do so.  Write me in your next letter how many potatoes you have in all and i will tell you how much to keep and how much to sell.  I shall soon go into winter quarters and then I shall want you to send me some dried fruit.

Write all of the particulars.  Yesterday I wrote Charlett* a letter, Tell Dan to write and I will answer him.

       Yours with Regard,

       C.A. Smith.

*Charlotte Fuller Chapman, his niece.
 

Letter #7

Most loved wife and Respected Family:

     Yours of the 6th of Nov. has just come to hand and read with pleasure.  Nothing does me so much good as to receive a letter from you.  I was afraid that I should hear that you were sick or dried out with cares that are daily clustering around you. 

     I wish that I could be at home with you a few weeks, how I should enjoy myself once more, I would like one of those "Warm Johnny Cakes" and warm biscuits, some butter and honey, for I have got most tired of hard-tack, beef fat-pork and coffee, and I long for a change.  I can get all of the things I have spoken of at the Sutlers by paying enormous prices, potatoes 15 cents a pound, cheese 60 cents a pound, small sweet cakes about as large as a turnip for four cents, a piece, small apple pies at 50 cents a piece and everything else in the eating line according.  I think I told you in my last letter that i lost most of my clothing when I was taken prisoner by the Rebs.  I have only one shirt, one pair of stockings, one pair of drawers, no blanket, no haversack, no canteen to carry water in. You see that I am quite destitute and shall not be able to get any from the government for some six weeks to come.  Those mittens you sent me are worth ten dollars to me and nothing could come more acceptable.  (How good they look.)  How good they feel, look like old times, are the first pair of mittens I have seen since I have been in the army.  Could sell them for two dollars quick.  Cold weather begins to come here and we soldiers who have not good warm clothing must suffer much.  I want as soon as you get this to make some preparation for sending me a box of kneedfulls, such as a shirt, one pair of drawers, one or two pairs of stockings, and also some dried fruit.  My boots are getting most worn out and shall soon need another pair.  Cannot get such a pair here as I want for less than 18 dollars, so I think that you had better get me a pair and put them in the box with the rest of the things.  I wear eights, want a good heavy pair.  The pair I brought with me are much too light to march in.  I want heavy soles.  I think you had better make a bargain with Mr. Van Awken to get them as he is a good judge of leather.  You get the box and things all ready.  In my next letter will tell you where to send them as near as I can find out. 

     By the reading of Mr. Ketchums letter you do not need much advice in disposing and taking care of things.  He says that you are ahead of all the neighbors in getting along with your work, so I have made up my mind not to trouble myself about those matters any more.  Was sorry to hear that you had trouble with the cows, hope that they did not jump fence and bother in that way.  I think that Mr. Van Auken will not be out of the way for taking care of the cows.  Two shillings a day I should think would be ample pay for milking them.  See what he asks and if he does not ask any more than give it to him, do not give more than he asks.  You spoke about wood that Van was drawing from acrossed the creek.  I sold him all of the long wood that was west of the creek.  As regards to the money you spoke of and what to do with it, I will tell you in my next letter.  Find out as soon as you can the amount of money that you will have to pay and make some inquiry whether the new school house is going up this winter or next spring for if said school house goes up we will want to keep a good deal of money to pay taxes.  Tell me in your next line how much money you have got in all and send all of the poor money that you have got in letter to me with a few dollars in good money (say two dollars).  In about six weeks I shall have some $80 dollars coming and most of it I shall send to you.

     See that the mice do not get into the granary and do mischief and see that the young apple trees and pear trees do not get destroyed or injured. Let the sheep run out into the pasture until the snow gets four or five inches deep for they will do better to run out than to be confined in a small place.  I will write to Mr. VanAuken about getting a male sheep to put in the lot with ours.

     I am glad to hear of new buildings going up on the corner of our street but am sorry to hear of the death of Mr. Teague.  It makes sad hearts for friends to hear of the death of their sons in the army. I am glad to hear From Mr. Scott and that he is well.  I have much that I should like to write to you about but time and room will not give space.  I have written to Father and John* and I think you will have a visit from them.  I am now in the same place that I was when I wrote to you before. 

     Things continue here about the same but think on the whole that there is not as much shooting as there was before elections. I hope that strife and war will soon come to an end for I have seen too much of the thing so that it makes me feel homesick to think of it.  I continue with the same boys that I did when I wrote before.  If you hear anything from Mr. Ferris let me know for I am very anxious to hear.*  Send me some postage  stamps. I am well and hope that you are enjoying the same blessing.  Tell the girls to write every week and you do the same for I want two letters from home every week without fail.  You should have the same from me.
       From your husband with regard,
       C.A. Smith

*Father-in-law and brother-in-law, Obadiah and John Palmeter.
*Ferris and Howard died in Confederate prison.

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Letter #8

Loved and Respected wife:

     Your letter of the 13th has just come.  The orderly sergeant of our company goes down to the Post Office every night and morning to get the letters that belong to my company.  When he returns to camp he read the names of those who have letters and such a jumping you never saw when he reads the name of someone who has a letter from his friends.  Last night while I was lying in my tent half asleep, with the boys, I heard the welcome sound, a letter and a package for C.A. Smith.  You may guess how quickly I started for said letter and package, read the letter, how glad I was to hear once more that you and the children were all well, glad to hear that you are so near through with the fall work.  Glad that the potatoes came out so well, hope that they are of good quality.  I want you to write in your next letter and tell me if the potatoes are good or bad.  If they are good I shall think every time I eat how you enjoy them for the potatoes we get in the army are very poor and watery.

     You spoke in your letter about selling some of the fowls.  I think that twelve kept through the winter well would be enough and make you less trouble than more.  I want that you should raise some chickens next summer so that when I return home, next September, I can enjoy eating chicken pie with you.  The stockings came all right.  I needed them very much.  It made me think of home to see such good ones.  You wrote that you have a great deal of rainy weather in New York State.  Not so here in Virginia.  I like the climate here much better than I do in York State. It has not rained here but once while I have been in the state and that was when I went on picket duty.  Everything is dry and roads are good.

     Our camp has moved some half a mile from where it was when I wrote to you before.  we had to move on account of the enemy shelling us.  Our camp is now under a hill where we are more protected from the fire of the enemy. Major Corning thinks we shall remain here through the winter.  I hope so for this is a good place, wood is plenty.  I want to write much but have not space to write all that I want to.  Tell Clarissa Ann I want to see her very much and nothing could have pleased me better than to receive a line from her.  Tell Cenet the same.  I want them to write often. Tell Grant that he is not forgotten for he is all the little boy Pa has, let him write all that he wants to.  Tell Lotta to write and get ma to steady her hand for my eyes love to see the marks they make.  It does me all sorts of good.  I want that you should fix them all up good for winter.  Get Grant a good pair of boots and get the girls the same if necessary.  I hope that you will not neglect  yourself for you have money and I want you to use it for your own comfort and benefit.  I think that if Mr. Ball wants the horse on nine months credit that you had better let him have him if father does not want her, for money at interest is better than to lie idle.  I want that you should take good care of the cows, use the wheat straw to bed them with for the oat straw is good to feed.  Tell me how the hens like their new house and tell me how the bees get along.  Write all of the particulars.  I am well and tough, never was more so in all of my life.  I want that you should send me a good pair of gloves by next mail.  The mittens are (PAGE MISSING)

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Letter #9

Kind and Most Loved Partner:

     If I am intruding upon your business hours by sending so many letters for you to read, just let me know and I will curtail a little.  I have been sending you two letters a week and shall continue to do so until I am warned to do different.  I am well and fat for me, am in the same place that I was when I wrote to before.  Think we shall remain here through the winter.  No accident has happened in our camp since I wrote to you last.  Our Regiment is under a hill and is not in so exposed a place as it was before.  But by stepping some thirty rods to the west we can see the city of Petersburg.  It looks to be about as large as Oswego, can count some twenty spires or steeples from the top of the hill.  We have had a soaking rain since I wrote to you last, the roads are getting very bad and our rations now have to be brought to us by railroad instead of wagons.

     Our dog-tents have not been very good to shield us from the rain.  When we got out of our nest this morning the ground where we lay was all water and we all looked like  hickens that had just come out of a swill kettle. Some cursed and swore about the wet and water and some said that it was nothing more or less than a cold water pack to drive off fevers.  Tomorrow we are going to commence to build our stockade or winter huts.  When we get them done I think that we shall be quite comfortable. We build them of split logs some six feet high and plaster the cracks up with clay and make clay chimneys.  Length 17 feet by 8 feet in width.

     I am going now to give you a list of such things as I want you to send me and I think the best way to send them is a good stout barrel and nail the hoops on with lath nails.  Send what peaches and dried apples you can spare and dried berries.  Make a good stout pair of suspenders and send with the rest of the goods.  Do not forget to send the woolen gloves and boots, the gloves you can send by mail forthwith, the boots put in with the other goods.  I would like to have you send me a good barrel of winter apples.  I can not buy an apple in camp short of 8 cents a piece. A barrel of apples here in camp is worth fifty dollars, the freight to get a barrel of apples here is only 6 dollars.  Some soldiers from York State have already had apples sent to them from their friends and are making a good thing out of it.  The soldiers from Cayuga County here have the promise of a furlough in six weeks from the first day of December.  If I get a furlough I shall be home the middle of January, it will be for thirty days. If you send me a barrel of apples and I do well on them, if I come home on furlough, when I return to the army I intend to take quite a quantity back with me. 

    My very best wishes to you and children.  Hope this will find you all well and in Good Cheer.  This from a loved husband to a loved wife.
       With regards,

       C.A. Smith

******

Letter #10

Dear Fanny:

     I love to write to you and the children for none of my time passes so pleasantly as the time I spend in writing to you and reading the kind letters that I receive from your pen.  My health is quite good with the exception of rheumatism.  The long wet spell of cold rainy weather and lying on the ground has brought this complaint on to me. Hundreds of soldiers are suffering with the same complaint but I think that when we get our houses done and fixed up warm, we shall not be troubled much with this.  I am not on duty today, it is the first time that I have asked to be excused since I have been in the service.  We have got our winter house all done but plastering.  Shall finish that this afternoon.  When this is done I think that we can keep warm and comfortable.

     I received your last letter Friday night.  It was mailed the 22nd, was only four days coming while it seems to take about twice the time for my letters to reach you.  I received a good long letter last evening from father and mother*, they write that they are all well and going over to see you in a few days.  I will now notice the items in your last letter (Sunday) you say that all have gone to meeting but dear little Lotta and she is asleep in the cradle.  I can realize how good and sweet she looks in the old cradle, sound asleep.  How I would like to be by her side and kiss her sweet face.  You are all alone now.  I wish I could be with you a few hours to talk.  I think that the time would be well improved.

     You say that you would like to know what I am doing and where I am.  I am in the same place that I was when I wrote you before. Right in front of Petersburgh, in sight of the doomed city, I say doomed for I think that it must soon fall, for the army that is now in front of that place is very large and strong.  We have forts within half a mile of each other the whole length of the line and it would be impossible for the Rebs break our lines, even in the weakest place.  So I think our army will not get into a fight this winter unless the Rebs evacuate.  If they should leave or evacuate our army will follow them up, detain them, I think there will be some fighting. I wish I could say something to cheer you up in your loneliness.  I guess that I can.  Three months of my year has already passed away, only nine more to serve, that will soon pass away.  When that passes away the debt we owe will also be canceled.  That great burden which you have borne so loyally will be removed and we shall stand upright once more in the face of the world.  The thought of this cheers me up and keeps me from being sad.

     I like to hear what is going on in Hannibal, weddings and everything else old and  young.  Glad to hear of improvement on our own street.  I want to know if Nettie learns her Sunday school lesson as well as ever.  Tell Clara that she must not grow so fast that I will not know her when I come home.  Tell Grant to take good care of the colt and not get kicked by him. Have all the children write some in your next letter. Take good care of the cows and give them one pint of meal a piece and the calves just half that quantity.

     Let me know how much corn you have and I will tell you in my letter how much to sell.  I want to write more but can't this time. In my next letter I will tell you about our   Thanksgiving.  I hope this will find you all well.

       Yours, best regards,
       C.A. Smith

Send me some black sewing thread in your next letter.
C.A. Smith

*Obadiah and Eunice Palmeter, Fanny's father and stepmother.