On board U.S. Rec’g
Ship Cairo, Oct 2d/ [18]62
Dear Folks,
We arrived here yesterday at twelve o.c. Since I last wrote to you we have
traveled many hundreds of miles. We passed through the states of Penn, Ohio, Ind and Ill. We left Erie at 2 o.c. p.m. on Monday and after a long ride of nearly two days we arrived safely at our destination. We left the Michigan amidst the cheers of the crew to which we responded by giving three cheers for Captain Carter. We marched through the streets of Erie headed by the fife, drum and bugle.
The ride through the states of Penn. and Ind. was very disagreeable on account of the dust and rough roads, but through Ill. over the prairies it was very good. There was no dust or jolting. Johnny Oberist sang some of his best songs which did a great deal toward making our ride pleasant. If George could only hear him sing his Dutch song, it would set him crazy with delight. The scenery along the road was beautiful, especially along the Ohio River.
We passed through two tunnels cut out of solid rock in Ind. One was very long. Dinner and supper was prepared for us at different places along the route, but we got no breakfast on account of our train being two hours behind time. I got along very well as I fell in with a boy who had brought a basket of eatables along with him. We had four carloads of rebel prisoner[s] attached to our train at Columbus, Ohio, and twelve more when we reached Vincennes, Ind. I never saw such a dirty, ragged set of men in all my life. Many of them looked as if they had once been strong and healthy, but now they looked as if they had been wasted with fever. We saw several regiments of troops encamped in Ind and gave them three cheers as we passed. Some of the bridges over which we passed were guarded by soldiers. One of the most beautiful sights I every witnessed was the sunrise on the prairies, but I am not artistic enough to describe it to you.
We received our hammocks and bags yesterday. I never slept so sound in my
life as I did last night. I got Jack Fox to help me to fix the strings and sling my hammock. I didn’t feel very well when I came on board on account of getting little sleep on the cars. But I am all right now. The fare we get here is not as good as I am used to, but it might be worse. We had “salt horse”, crackers and rice soup for dinner, also crackers and coffee for supper and breakfast. We will fare better when we get on one of the gunboats. The water is very poor, but is as good as I expected. I have had very little time to judge what kind of a place this is, therefore I can’t write much about it. Write immediately and let me know how you all are, and how Robbie and Archie are getting along at school, and whether Jenny has gone back to Miss N[ardin]’s school.
Your affectionate son,
Daniel
