You will see
by the date of this that we are at
Point Lookout after all. We left Long
Island a week ago last night. we got
the orders rather unexpectedly and not
till the day before. four companys went
over to the "City of Bath" & six including
Co. K. on the Karnak a large screw
steam ship. did not get aboard till
after dark & then we immediately
steamed out of the harbor. The next
morning we were out of sight of land.
The ship pitched & rolled continu-
ally & &frac910; of the men were sea sick, all
that day & the next. I was not sick
a bit & had a lot of spirit laughing
at the rest. The third day, Monday,

we came in sight of land & arrived
at Fortress Monroe just after dark
Stopped long enough to load Gen Butlers
horses & baggage & then went on up
the bay, passed right by Point Lookout
the next day & anchored for the night,
in the Potomac river. The pilots will not
run on this river in the night with large
vessels. The next day, Tuesday, we
arrived at Alexandria at noon. The
other boat "City of Bath" got there the
day before, it had Col. Hapgood aboard
& he had been up to Washington & then
got orders for us to go to Point Lookout.
We were expecting till then to go to the
front in our old place in the 2^nd Corps.
That was our orders when we left Long
Island. The next P.M. we started
back down the river & arrived
off here yesterday P.M. but did not
come ashore till this morning.
We had a very pleasant voyage

all the way through, good weather tho
with head winds. Capt. Cushing the
master of the ship is one of the jolliest
old fellows I have ever seen, he has been to sea
over 40 years. We officers had
excellent accommodations in the cabin
& tip top fare, Lt. Col Cross joined us
at Alexandria. We have been busy
all day pitching tents. We have
the corps round tents. They are old ones
but we shall now have new. Our camp
is very prettily situated on the shores
of Chesapeake bay & overlooking it close
behind us is the rebel prisoners
enclosure with a high fence like the
one at Concord & with a walk for the
guards round the out side & near the
top, there is a large hospital here
filled with our own men & rebel
sick & wounded a steamer boat
runs to Washington up one day &
down the next. one also runs between

here & Baltimore 2 or 3 times a week.
This is all I can tell you of this
place with my present knowledge
of it. There are about 10,000 rebels
here now. they are quite a jolly set[?]
of fellows I should think. I can
hear them singing now about
1500 were brought here this week.
Taken on the Rappahannoch lately
Capt Bullin did not come with
us. He went to Concord a week
before we left Long Island & was
detained there on a Court Marshal.
Lt. Dame has been sick all the
time & did not come, so I have
been in command of the Co. all
alone for 2 weeks, so you see I
have had my hands full. My 48
substitutes have to be looked after
all the time. I lost one coming here
I think he jumped over board, the
night we anchored in the river.
I really think he got ashore for we
were ½ mile from it & the river was quite [---?].

I don’t know when Capt Bullin
will be back hope he will be
soon. The regt. was paid off the
day before we left Long Island
I did not get a cent. I have got to
get my pay & the $100.00 bounty the
same as a discharged soldier & the
paymaster did not have the required
blanks. I should have gone to Boston
to his office & got the next day if
we had not come away. I thought
I might get it at Washington but
could not so I have got to wait until
next pay day. I have got all my
uniform except an overcoat. Have
got a dress coat, socks, pants, vest & hat,
the whole cost $59.00. My sword sash
& belt cost $28.00. After we got to Long
Island the men in Co "K". presented me
with $36.50 they had intended to get me
my equipment, but I got that before

they knew it, so they gave me the money.
I bought me a nice pair of shoulder
straps & I call it that they gave me my
sword, belt, sash & shoulder straps. I am
the only one in the regt. of the new
officers that has been presented with
anything. I hardly know what to do
for an overcoat. I have got a good privates
coat & had we gone to the front
should have made that answer
but here I need something better,
but can hardly afford to buy one.
can’t get anything decent less
then thirty or forty dollars such
as officers wear.

My commission starts the 7^th Oct.
but I was mustered in the 26^th &
can only draw lieuts. pay from
that time. my pay amounts
to $105.00 a month but then I have
got to pay for everything I eat
drink & wear out of that.

I have not been able to have any
photographs taken yet, but will, the
first chance I may go up to Washing-
ton before long & if so I will have some
taken. I have got a marker for an extra
one now, but I will only exchange.
I think you had ought to give Mother
something for her efforts in your old
line of business. I wrote to Mother
from Alexandria & shall write again
tomorrow. Shall look for a letter from
you soon. Give my love to all. Tell
Doctor I expect to get fat here for
oysters are very plenty, they can
be had in abundance for the [---?]
of getting them. Write Soon