Letter from Gooch , Charles W.

Soldier: Gooch , Charles W.
Allegiance: Union
Unit/Service Branch: 27th Infantry
Home State: Maine
Date Written: Thursday, March 12th, 1863
Location: Camp Genl. Casey, Virginia
Correspondence Type: Letter
Subjects: Camp Life, Contraband, Eastern Theater, On the March, Rumors, Wife/Girlfriend
 
My Dear Wife,

With pleasure I take the present opportunity to inform you that I am well and hope you enjoy the same blessing.

I should have written yesterday as usual but I was on picket and could not. I went out Monday and came in today. I was out on the Mt. Vernon road but my beat extended to the Potomac. I have given you a discription of the place before so I shall not have anything new to write.

There is not anything new going here that I can communicate to you. There is all sorts of rumours going here about our geting paid off and moving. Some says that the paymaster is on the ground but I think he has come about the same as the old witch of Endor raised Samuel to Saul. As to moving, some says that we are going back to camp Seward. Some say over to Washington and one fellow said that he heard the Colonel say that he could have his choice to go to Washington or to the relay house which ever he chose but you can believe as much of it as you have a mind to as for me I do not believe any of it. The relay house is situated on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad about half way betwen Washington and Baltimore if I remember right. If we go there we shall have to guard the railroad I suppose but we have not gone yet and nobody knows when or where we shall go or whether we shall go or not I do not believe.

I expected a letter from you today but did not get it but I hope it will come tomorrow. I suppose it would not be necessary for me to tell you that we are on the 7th month of our time for I suppose you keep the time as near as I can. The weather here is quite cool as yet but it is time now for some warm weather so the natives tell me. One negro ancedote and I close. Near my post there is (the last time I was on picket) man lives by the name of Snowden. He is a kind of king among the negers. He hires a good many of them to chop wood and work on his farm. They live outside the picket line. There was 3 negros and 3 teams went over to Alexandria and got belated passes is not known by pickets after dark and the countersign is out. I heard them coming and when they got about 20 feet from me it was dark as could be. I sung out "halt" as loud as I could haller. They stopped their teams as quick as they had been shot and said do you want to see our pass. I told them that it was too late for passes. "We are Mr. Snowdon" I laughed to think that Mr Snowdon was 3 negroes and let them go home for I knew who they were.

I shall have to close. I have hurried this off to get it done before dress parade for there will be no time after that and the mail goes out in the morning and if I do not get it mailed tonight you will not get it til next week. So please excuse all blunders and believe me your most loving husband C W G

Please write as often as you can make it convenient and I will do the same.