CAMP TENNALLY
OCT. 7. 1861
DEAR WIFE – I DID NOT WRITE YESTERDAY, BECAUSE I WENT OVER TO LEASURE’S REGIMENT, AND WHEN I GOT BACK I WAS TIRED ENOUGH TO REST. I SAW MANY OLD FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES , AND HAD RATHER AN AGREEABLE VISIT. CAPT. BROWN OF THE NORTH GUARDS INVITE ME TO DINNER. HIS COMPANY IS VERY MUCH DISSATISFIED WITH THE FACT THAT THEIR FAMILIES HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RELIEF FROM THE COUNTY. LEASURE’S REGIMENT IS UNDER MARCHING ORDERS BUT THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THEY WILL GO. I TRIED TO SEE RICHARDSON, BUT COULD NOT. HE WAS AWAY FROM CAMP.
ON SATURDAY I WAS IN THE CITY, AND SAW LOTS OF THINGS. I WAS THROUGH THE CAPITOL AND ON TOP OF IT. THE VIEW FROM THE TOP OF IT IS GRAND. AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN REACH, THE WHITE TENTS OF OUR TROOPS COVER EVERY AVAILABLE FIELD, WHILE DOWN THE BAY, THE VIEW IS BEAUTIFUL – A DOZEN VESSELS BEING ALWAYS IN SIGHT. ALL THIS WAS INTERESTING, YET I THOUGHT THE INTERIOR OF THE CAPITOL STILL MORE SO. THE ADORNMENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS CONNECTED WITH THE BUILDING. AND ITS USES, HAD STRONGER ATTRACTIONS FOR ME THAN THE VIEW FROM THE DOME. I SPENT TWO HOURS VERY PLEASANTLY, AND THEN WENT TO THE PATENT OFFICE, WHERE I SPENT ANOTHER TWO HOURS. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS IN WASHINGTON. I DID NOT PRETEND TO EXAMINE THE MODELS OF MACHINERY, ETC., FOR THAT WOULD REQUIRE A WEEK. I MERELY LOOKED AT THE HISTORICAL CURIOSITIES. I SAW THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE – WASHINGTON’S COMMISSION – WASHINGTON’S UNIFORM, SWORD, AND A PIECE OF HIS SLEEPING TENT – GEN. JACKSON’S MILITARY COAT WORN AT THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS – THE PRESENTS SENT BY THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN, CONSISTING PRINCIPALLY OF SILK ROBES, SWORDS, AND SPECIMENS OF CABINET WORK AND PAINTING. I CANNOT GIVE YOU HALF AN IDEA OF THE VAST NUMBER OF SIGHTS TO BE SEEN IN THIS VAST BUILDING.
I THEN WENT TO THE CENSUS DEPARTMENT, AND GOT MY MATTERS THERE FIXED. KENNEDY SAID HE WOULD SEND THE DRAFT DIRECT TO HANNA & CO. THIS IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED, BUT IT WAS THE BEST I COULD GET THE DEPARTMENT TO DO. PLEASE SEND WORD TO HANNA & CO. ABOUT THIS. MR. KENNEDY TOLD ME THAT MY RETURNS WERE AS CORRECT AS ANY THAT WERE SENT IN. THERE WAS BUT ONE ERROR IN MY RETURNS, AND THAT WAS THE OMISSION OF AN AGE. NO RETURN HAD LESS THAN ONE, AND VERY FEW HAD LESS THAN FIVE OR SIX.
RUMOR IS STILL BUSY SENDING US TO MISSOURI BUT I HAVE SATISFIED MYSELF THAT THERE IS VERY LITTLE, IF ANY, FOUNDATION FOR IT. IT HAS BEEN TALKED OF AT HEAD QUARTERS, BUT AS NEARLY AS I CAN LEARN, IT HAS NOT BEEN SERIOUSLY ENTERTAINED.
THE MAIL IS ABOUT CLOSING AND I MUST CLOSE TOO. GIVE MY LOVE TO ALL THE FRIENDS, KISS THE CHILDREN FOR ME, ESPECIALLY SAMMY. I WOULD GIVE A GOOD DEAL TO SEE HIM. SOMEHOW I THINK OFTEN OF HIM THAN OF ANY OF THE REST. I WILL SEND YOU MY LIKENESS AS SOON AS I GET MY UNIFORM, WHICH WILL NOT BE FOR A TIME YET.
EVER YOURS
TOM
