Bristoe Station Va.
March 31, 1864
My dear Father,
Your note of the 28th, written on the back of Miles’ letter to you was received last evening. It found me as well as usual and contented with my lot. We have had quite a storm for the past two days—it having either rained or sleeted all the time. It is cold but pleasant this morning. The streams are much swollen by the rain and several bridges have been damaged some, but the cars are still running. When a bridge is destroyed here it don’t take long to rebuild it again, for the engineers at Alexandria know the exact width of the various streams and having lumber ready at that place they prepare it and bring it out on the cars and put it together in a very short time. They have thrown a railroad bridge across the Rappahannock in less than three days.
Knowing the difficulty of surmounting the “red tapeism” at Washington I am well enough satisfied that you did not attempt to visit me. I hope to be able to visit you before many months without having to ask permission from anybody. Nobody knows yet when we will be discharged. There are various rumors afloat but they are only rumors. One thing is sure it will not be for four months yet.
This railroad is taxed to its utmost in bringing out supplies for the Army and transporting troops. I would estimate that about ten thousand men came to the Army last week. As you know the 1st and 3rd Corps have been merged into the other three. [Major General Winfield S.] Hancock, Warren, and Sedgwick Command the 2nd, 5th and 6th respectively. They are all good men. I wonder what Burnside is going to do, collecting his forces at Annapolis? We are surely going to take Richmond before ”green corn time”. So mote [must?] it be.
Jo Ross received a letter from some of his folks a day later than the one of Miles to you, which said that James Bortil had died—another helpless family cast upon the cold charities of the world.
I have not had as easy a time before, since I have been in the Army, as I have had during the past winter. I have not squandered my vacant hours either, but have spent them in silent converse with Kent and Blackstone. From this out I do not intend to labor any harder than is absolutely necessary. I hear that Smith Troutner and Jno. Lusher have reinlisted and that Jno. has or is to have a Commission—perhaps its so.
I think of nothing more that would interest you.
Your dutiful son
J. D. Chadwick
Next posting: April 2, 2014
Jonathan E. Helmreich
College Historian
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA 16335