Wheelock G. Veazey to Julia A. Veazey
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I rec’d two nice little letters fr you this eve, so I should suppose you would
think I ought to give you one. I get yr letters just before night generally.
Make anything to keep me warm you please. I wish you could get a head & neck
covering for [Lute]. I have worked her so hard for a week past
she can hardly step to-day. Head to get another horse to ride on drill this P.M.
a green horse, could’nt get her near the line at first & would jump at every
movement like a cat, but I finally broke her so she would move at nothing. There
were two or three batteries, drilling on our parade ground & they would fire
20 guns at a time
but she would stand fast. I don’t know but I shall
buy her as I need another horse, & I should’nt like to expose in a fight if
knew when to avoid it. I am greatly amused as the vast amount of advice I
received fr home about what to do in emergencies. You seem to think we are going
fight than we have of trying a cause pending. The truth is we never know when
the fight is coming. We are near enough to the enemy to get one up at any moment
& a good officer is always ready for one, therefore he would have to leave
his uniform off all the time. But it strikes me I sha’nt doff mine for any rebel
just yet. I have got a nice field glass, have a sabre also but don’t like it
& shall get another. Keep the old line
sword for an ornament. It
is pretty well used up but the blade is good. A common cavalry sabre is the best
thing for a horseman. How does Mr Willis get along? Hope he has better luck than
our Chaplain. He put on a uniform some time ago & the other day came out
with cavalry Capt. straps on so the Adj. sent him a detail to go out on picquet
the next morn. He used to have a good many prayer meetings but reckon he thot
they did not pay & I dont think he has any now. I should think Mr Willis
would be a good one, but generally as far as I can learn they are the greatest
humbugs in the army. Col Hyde is about well. The Major is sick now & Gen
Smith. Gen Hancock has been in com’d of the Division
He is commander
of the 1st brigade & a splendid officer. Everything military is perfectly
familiar to him yet he is a gentleman. He has sent me out several times lately
on scouting & reconnoitering tours so I got well acquainted with him. He is
very exact & severe, yet he has a little compassion. He has given me some
very good compliments, & recommended some works on military for me to read.
I think he likes to send me out for I always just go to the extent of my orders
& stop, no matter how great the tempatation. I could have got my name in the
papers a good many times by taking a step beyond my orders when out on
Expeditions & probably as in most cases of that kind got myself in arrest
when I returned. Any of the generals despise an officer who wants to do some
dashing thing, something big. A Lt. of cavalry was sent out with a small party a
definite distance awhile ago & went beyond
fell in with a large
party of rebels, shot one & got fired at a good deal, but not hit. when he
come in Genl. Smith ordered him in arrest & said he was sorry to regret the
rebels were such poor shots, but the next day the N. York papers were filled
with an account of this “gallant Lt’s daring exploit”. None of these exploits
ever accomplish anything except generally the loss of a man or two. When I am
out with a command, if a subordinate transgresses an order I give him, I put
him in arrest at once, however much I want his assistance. Its the only way
to keep these brainless fellows within reach Proctor did not
get in arrest I find as he had leave of absence fr his Col. but the Col. got
into trouble for granting it. I intend to call on his wife to-morrow.
How glad I would be to see you to-night. Dont you be alarmed about peoples
talking about a fight here, if we have one it will be when people wont foretel
it. Our course will depend very much on the result of the Efforts of our fleet.
Am very glad to hear of Genl. Foster’s promotion. Please extend my
congratulations to Mrs. F. I should like a trip so with a fleet. Good night my
love, be very careful about yr health. You have spoken several times lately
about being not very well. I am so fat I can hardly see.
Yr devoted husbandW. G. Veazey
Mrs. J A Veazey