Allegany to Appomattox: The Life and Letters of Private William Whitlock of the 188th New York Volunteers

4. On the Move

32 4 On the Move Letter 4 Washington, D.C. Sept. 28 . . . 64 you may be somewhat supprised when you get this for I am now in Washington. we arrived here about 30 minutes ago and I thought I would write a few lines to you. we have bin on the cars since night before last and am pretty well whipt so you must excuse me if I dont write a very long letter this time. I am well and hope you are the same. we stayed in Baltimore last night. I sent my cloths to Olean from Elmira. directed to me and you must call at the station and get them. I got 33 dollars in Elmira and can let it on interest to our second leutenant. if you dont want it to use I will let him have it for I dont like to risk it in a letter. he says he will get it for me. any time you want it I will send it right off. you had better not write until you hear from me agan for I dont know whither we are a going to stay here or not. Our Captin has gon to hed quarters and will likely know something when he comes back. Lide I have received only one letter since I left home and I dont see what the reason is that some of you dont write me. I am shure I write enough letters and think I out to receive some now when I get settled so you can. I wish you would write twice a week. I cant tell you much about Washington yet fore we have had no chance to look around yet maybe when I write agan I can tell you On the Move  33 more. Now Lide if you want this money just let me know and you shall have it. excuse me this time. give my love to all, nothing more this time so good by Will Lide I have just seen the captin and he says if you direct to Washington, D.C. 188 reg, Co A in the care of Capt. Curtis it will be all right. so now Lide write as often as you can answer this as soon as you get it. Washington D.C. 188 reg. Comp. A care of Capt. Curtis Letter 5 Sity Point Oct. 5 . . . 64 Dear Wife I and more attenate to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am well but traveling pretty fast. We landed here about one o;clock yesterday. We are 8 miles from petersburg and could hear the booming of cannon all night. They say they have bin fighting there five days. there is only one company of our regiment here. we had a pleasant voig here from Washington. we came down the Potomac and through the Chespeak bay past fortris Monrow and the rifrafs and from there to Newport news and then up the James river. the sene was rather novel to me; the gunboats lay all along the river and through the bay. I wish I could explane it all to you but I cant with the pen. I am more contented than I expected I could be so near the front. we are encamped two miles from sity point and it is one solid encampment from thare to here and they say it is just the same clear through to petersburg. as I am writing I can hear the canon as plain as you can hear thear little pop guns from Olean. so 34  Allegany to Appomattox you see we are about as good as in the front but never mind; I guess it will all come out right yet. we will hope so at any rate. the more I travel around and the more I see of soldiering the more I am resined to put up with it. so make yourself as conted as you can and dont lay awake nights thinking about me for it will do not good. I will try and take care of myself. The wether hare is about as warm now as it was up thare last summer in haying. so you se we dont suffer with the cold. I dont know what it can be here in the summer time. We proley shant have to make as long marches as our soldiers used to...