WESTON, VIRGINIA,
Tuesday Morning, July 30, 1861.
DEAR UNCLE:–If you look on the map you can find this town about twenty-five miles south of Clarksburg, which is about one hundred miles east of Parkersburg on the Northwest Virginia Railroad. So much for the general location; and if you were here, you would see on a pretty sidehill facing towards and overlooking a fine large village, surrounded by lovely hills, almost mountains, covered with forest or rich greensward, a picturesque encampment, and on the summit of the hill overlooking all, the line of field officers’ tents. Sitting in one of them, as [Henry] Ward Beecher sat in the barn at Lenox, I am writing you this letter.
I have seen Conger, acting assistant quartermaster of [the] Tenth Regiment. He wishes a place. I ventured to suggest that he could perhaps raise a company in your region by getting an appointment from the governor. All here praise him both as a business man and as a soldier. He must, I think, get some place. His reputation is so good with those he is associated with.
Dr. Rice also called to see me; he looks well and is no doubt an efficient man. Dr. Joe has had a consultation with him and thinks him a good officer.
We enjoy this life very much. So healthy and so pretty a country is rarely seen. After a month’s campaign here the Tenth has lost no man by sickness and has but seven sick. General Rosecrans takes immediate command of us and will have us with him in his operations against Wise. We shall have mountain marches enough no doubt. So far I stand it as well as the best. . . .
This is the land of blackberries. We are a great grown-up armed blackberry party and we gather untold quantities.
Here there are nearly as many Secessionists as Union men; the women avow it openly because they are safe in doing so, but the men are merely sour and suspicious and silent…
Men are at work ditching around my tent preparatory to a thunder-shower which is hanging over the mountain west of us. One of them I hear saying to his comrade: “This is the first time I ever used a spade and I don’t like it too well.”
But you have had enough of this incoherent talk. Colonel Scammon and Matthews have both been absent and left me in command, so that I have been exposed to numberless interruptions.
Good-bye. Direct to me by my title “Twenty-third Regiment, Ohio troops, Clarksburg, Virginia,” and it will be sent me.
R. B. HAYES.
Send this to Lucy.
S. BIRCHARD.