Letter from Gooch , Charles W.
| Soldier: Gooch , Charles W. |
| Allegiance: Union |
| Unit/Service Branch: 27th Infantry |
| Home State: Maine |
| Date Written: Wednesday, April 22nd, 1863 |
| Location: Camp at Chantilly, Virginia |
| Correspondence Type: Letter |
| Subjects: Commanders, Eastern Theater, Maneuvers, Rumors, Strategy, Wife/Girlfriend |
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My Dear Wife,
I thought I would improve this opportunity to inform you that I am well and hope you enjoy the same blessings.
I have not received a letter from you since last Thursday but I expect you have written as usual. We had a mail Saturday night and have not had one since but expect one tonight and then I expect to get two sweet epistles if not more. I think I have received all you have written previous to last week.
I have no news to write but I thought I would try and scratch a few lines if they were not quite so bright.
In my last I told you that we were in Casey's Corps and Ambercombie's Division but since then I have learned that Casey has been relieved of his command altogether and we are in Heinselman's Corps and Ambercombie Division but whether Casey has beenrelieved or not I do not know and I cannot see any body that does.
The weather here is little cool as yet. The wind continues to the Northeast most of the time and quite cloudy with appearances of rain although we have not had any very long storms as yet. When the wind comes round to the South or West and the sun shines out it is quite warm. The weather here is some such as we have in Maine in May. The peach trees are all in bloom now but I am told that they arer the first trees that put forth in sping.
The regiment has just come in from battalion drill. I was on guard last night and did not get relieved time enough this morning to participate but the guard as a general thing has the next day to themselves til dress parade and that is not much duty but now there is new orders in regard to drill and I do not know as the guard will be exempt all day or not. There is a battalion drill every forenoon and company drill every afternoon til dress parade and that will occupy the most of the time.
I wish I had something to write so I could write you a real good letter but I have not and you must excuse if I write about Military movements as far as I knonw about them and when I get home I will talk all day with you if I can interest you any for I feel as though my letters must be poor fodder for you. They do not contain anything worth reading out after all. I think you like to get a letter from me as often as you do if I did not I should not go write so often. Sometimes I think I wish you would ask me some questions in your letters but then I think if you should I could not answer them properly and you would not be any more enlightened then you was before you asked them.
But about all I can say is I want to see you and shall be glad when the time comes when I can come home and see the one I love best and have a chance to live in good society again away from the roll of the drum and other outcries that is not usual in a quiet little home like ours. Sometimes I think if I knew that some calamity was going to transpire in June next and could look ahead to it, the time would look very short indeed or if I was at home and got to go away again in June then I think the time would look short; especially if I did not want to go away from home but to look ahead til June. Now it looks to be some time but yet I am aware that the wheels of time in rolling very fast and a moment past cannot ----- but yet I do not want them to stop til I get home therefore you best take this letter for what it is worth and ever believe me to be your loving and true husband, C
(Charles W Gooch)
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