Bell Plains Landing, January 1863

Kimball Pearsons, Bell Plains Landing, January 1863

Location	Original Letter	Transcription
Bell Plains Landing 11 Jan 1863	KP2025.001.024	No 13 Bell[e] Plains Landing Jan 11th 1863 Dear Sister Your No 12th written the 5th and 6th I got to day noon and I think it came quick enough. I found the thread and Stamps enclosed. I was very glad to get them. About a week ago I had but one stamp but I got a chance to buy 8 for 25 cts but I don’t want to get entirely out. What did you expect I would do with a Dozen lead pencils, I shall disagree with you about the pencils being more valuable than all the rest you sent. I think the fruit is or will be worth much the most if I ever get it, but I did not want you to rob yourself. I am most sorry you sent the stuff by Bela for it will be a bother to him more than he is aware of, but as long as he offered to carry it he must stand it. I don’t think you had better knit any more wristlets for I can get along. I made Joe some cloth ones a month ago that button together. Joe says George Rudds report about report about my being so poor was a Damned lie and I rather guess it was. I might not have been so fleshy as I was but I have not been quite so poor as he represented. You cannot put any dependence in anything he says (You need not let him know I wrote this.) (Joe this minute has read to me what Jose just wrote about Rudd which was about the same as I have written and we had quite a laugh about it; I guess Lis will let you see it.) 60 of our Co. D are again detailed for 3 days more to work unloading forage. They don’t work us very hard here, its about 3 miles from our Camp and we got here at 10 A.M. and 35 more set to work and worked till noon and that’s all for to day. Joe and I have got our tent up all right and nice. We use our Ponchoes [ponchos] or oilcloth blankets for tents. We stick a couple of crotches 4 feet high and 6 feet apart and put a little pole in and tie our Ponchoes [ponchos] together and stretch them over this ridge pole and then stake them down to the bottom and that makes a waterproof shelter 6 feet long and 5 or 6 wide open at each end. Then we take one of our rubber blankets and pin it up at one end, and pin up a couple of grain bags at the other end. Then we get a swad of pine or cedar boughs and spread on the bottom. Then we spread a rubber blanket and 2 good winter horse blankets under us and then we have 3 woolen blankets and one quilt that I brought from Elmira Barracks over us, our Over coats for pillows or under coats and boots pulled off and that’s the way we sleep. And we sleep ghood we have a fire 6 or 8 feet in front of our tent and when we have a plenty of good wood we have a big fire and we most always do for Cavalry Camp in the woods when they can, (and so do Infantry too). We drill 2 hours a day on horse back when we are at our Regimental Camp. We have dinner tents (I think I gave you a description of them) at the Regt. Joe and I and 2 more that bunk with us have made a bed of poles up a food from the ground and put lots of pine boughs on them and yesterday afternoon we made a fireplace and chimney of logs and mud close up to one end of our tent so we have a fire inside of our house now. This is the way we sleep when out from camp, but some of the boys will lie down in the dirt with their blankets over them and not tent. And we have the same bedding let us be where we will. I hurt a rotten tooth with a piece of cracker this morning and its ached all day and aches like split now. I think I told you in my last to direct to Co. L 10th Regt. N.Y.V. Cav. Bayard’s Brigade, Washington D.C. Please cut more pieces from news papers and send in your letters to me. I am well and hearty and Joe says I look tough and fat. John Matthews is not very well for a few days but he is around. Daniel Warner and Clark Dexter are in the Hospital at the Regt. Daniel has a very bad cough and Clark has a fever. I did There my candle is just going. I’ll write more in the morn if I have a chance to but if I don’t it must go as it is . Goodnight K. Pearsons Wm. & Harriette P.S. By the light of the fire, Please hand what Joe has written to Melissa. K.P. Morning of the 12th We’re all well here this morn but we heard last night that John Mattews was worse yesterday. After we left he had two spells of cramping. He has had a diarhea [diarrhea] a week or more but a good many of the boys have been so and get over it in a few days. He went into the Regimental Hospital yesterday which is more comfortable than our tents. Have more room and a stove in it. The beds are up from the ground about 18 inches made of poles and brush (the universal style here for bedsteads). Take good care of that Plant. If you have lots to write just set up 2 or 3 nights and write it so I can have the benefit of it. About the wheat & Jacob its all right only you wrote it $42.26 this time & before you had it $41.26. I have not got any of the lost letters yet. I got a letter yesterday from Alice and I have lost one from there too. I have seen Erastus once when I first came here. This morning I have concluded to have you knit another pair of wristlets and send by mail and send the nightcap by mail too. I think you had better get a large string what are called law size envelops and perhaps it would be best to send them in two separate envelopes. Do as you think best but do them up as tight as you can and press them well so they will stay smooth. K. Pearsons [envelope] Rev Joshua Allen Gowanda NY [envelope reverse] #13 Jan 11 1863 Bell Plain Landing Marie Shaw has sent for me
Bell Plains Landing 16 Jan 1863	KP2025.001.025	In camp near Bell[e] Plains Landing Jan 16th 1863 Dear Brother & Sister A day or two ago I received a letter from you No. 13 with May’s drawing in it. Glad you are fine in health, and I want to know how long twill be before you get fat for most every letter I’ve had says you are getting fat. I am not very poor I weighed 140 lbs yesterday and feel first rate to tell the truth I am well. I wish you could had my Carbine to snapped at the Sheep dog. Its sure fire every time and will carry ½ mile. I hope you will make Clark pay for the damages his dog has done. Joe says he has received 3 letters from Jane, and has sent 2 while he was at Elmira. I have told Joe about it. He don’t feel as though his folks used Melissa as they ought to. They don’t go to see her at all and that’s the reason they don’t get letters from Joe. I don’t blame him for not answering their letters till they used Melissa better. Twice you have told what you sent to me by Bela. It is all right. tis a good plan to mention anything of importance in more than one letter. I recollect about the comforter I traded with Frank. I received 3 stamps you send for maybe I shall want a good many. In my last I ordered the night cap and some more wristlets sent by mail. A few days ago one of our boys got a pair of mittens and their other little notions by mail and done up in brown paper wit ha string tied around it as you would get a bundle from a store and it only cost 6 cents postage. Tell May she can beat me at drawing and tell Ida to send something to me. I believe that is all that requires a reply in your last and now I will tell you that I have received all of the back letters, No. 6, 7 & 8. They have been over a month coming but I was glad to get them. Our company got over a hundred old Camp of Recruit letters last night. The Orderly Sergeant got 10, Joe got 3, John 2 and so on. John Matthews is Commissary Sergant [Sergeant] now. He has been Corporal. He is not able to attend to his business yet but is getting better. Clark Dexter is very sick with fever and out of his head the most of the time for 3 days. I would have liked to seen P. Walden danced his jigs. Those photographs we could not get but if I ever get a chance I will get some and send home. We had a muddy time for a few days at Alexandria but I don’t think twas very deep in our tent. I have not got those letters from Shelden and Walter yet. Those sheep William you write you will buy more or let me have 3 of yours or buy some more as you choose. I am glad you did not sell runner plank for a long sleigh for 10/s pr for they are worth more. I used to get $2.00 for the long runners. I am glad the neighbors are good to you for it seems much better to you know. Joe is not homesick but still he would like to be at home as would all of us but Joe is cheerful and lively here as ever. Well you asked lots of questions in your letter. I’ll try and answer them some time if I don’t in this. We expect there is to be another forward movement across the Rhappahannock [Rappahannock] about 6 miles below Fredericksburgh [Fredericksburg]. It may be to night and it may be in a week. John Matthews has just come into our tent and says he shall stay at the Hospital a little longer for it would tire him and maybe make him worse if he should try to ride. He is gaining and will soon be well I think. I want you to tell his wife this as soon as you can after you get this for she will be worrying about him. Here they raise mostly corn, some tobacco and Wheat. What its worth I don’t know. There is not many negros here. what haven’t gone south have gone north. They don’t half cultivate their land, not but a little stock. I don’t see any sheep, but lots of hogs. The houses are mostly log and resemble the houses in Indian Town. Only these are white washed and a log chimney on the outside of the house at one end. All chimneys here are outside of houses. There is some good Apple and Peach orchards here. I keep my cream horse yet. He is about as tall as my grey and not quite so slim. he is full of the old nick. He rides pretty easy. Yesterday morn I carried Marvin Farnsworth down to the landing to take the boat for Washington. He is discharged. He rode John’s horse and I led him back. He said he would come and see you in a few days. He told me that I looked healthy and he knows I am hearty for he ate breakfast with me the morn he left. When he comes give him the best you can for a Soldier will appreciate it as well as anyone. He is going to drink cider and eat Apples for me while there. I don’t know what position we will be in this movement but we don’t expect to be brought into very close distance for we have not fired a gun on our horses yet. I’ll write as soon as we move or the first chance I have. From Your Soldier Brother Kimball Pearsons Wm. & Harriette. [upside down] I bought a bottle of ink yesterday for 10 cts and Joe and I have both written this morn with ink. Its very warm here and rained last night. [top of page 4] We just got orders to go for 3 days. I suppose on picket. K.P.

Location

Original Letter

Transcription

Bell Plains Landing
11 Jan 1863

KP2025.001.024

No 13
Bell[e] Plains Landing
Jan 11th 1863
Dear Sister
Your No 12th written the 5th and 6th I got to day noon and I think it came quick enough. I found the thread and Stamps enclosed. I was very glad to get them. About a week ago I had but one stamp but I got a chance to buy 8 for 25 cts but I don’t want to get entirely out. What did you expect I would do with a Dozen lead pencils, I shall disagree with you about the pencils being more valuable than all the rest you sent. I think the fruit is or will be worth much the most if I ever get it, but I did not want you to rob yourself. I am most sorry you sent the stuff by Bela for it will be a bother to him more than he is aware of, but as long as he offered to carry it he must stand it. I don’t think you had better knit any more wristlets for I can get along. I made Joe some cloth ones a month ago that button together. Joe says George Rudds report about report about my being so poor was a Damned lie and I rather guess it was. I might not have been so fleshy as I was but I have not been quite so poor as he represented. You cannot put any dependence in anything he says (You need not let him know I wrote this.) (Joe this minute has read to me what Jose just wrote about Rudd which was about the same as I have written and we had quite a laugh about it; I guess Lis will let you see it.) 60 of our Co. D are again detailed for 3 days more to work unloading forage. They don’t work us very hard here, its about 3 miles from our Camp and we got here at 10 A.M. and 35 more set to work and worked till noon and that’s all for to day. Joe and I have got our tent up all right and nice. We use our Ponchoes [ponchos] or oilcloth blankets for tents. We stick a couple of crotches 4 feet high and 6 feet apart and put a little pole in and tie our Ponchoes [ponchos] together and stretch them over this ridge pole and then stake them down to the bottom and that makes a waterproof shelter 6 feet long and 5 or 6 wide open at each end. Then we take one of our rubber blankets and pin it up at one end, and pin up a couple of grain bags at the other end. Then we get a swad of pine or cedar boughs and spread on the bottom. Then we spread a rubber blanket and 2 good winter horse blankets under us and then we have 3 woolen blankets and one quilt that I brought from Elmira Barracks over us, our Over coats for pillows or under coats and boots pulled off and that’s the way we sleep. And we sleep ghood we have a fire 6 or 8 feet in front of our tent and when we have a plenty of good wood we have a big fire and we most always do for Cavalry Camp in the woods when they can, (and so do Infantry too). We drill 2 hours a day on horse back when we are at our Regimental Camp. We have dinner tents (I think I gave you a description of them) at the Regt. Joe and I and 2 more that bunk with us have made a bed of poles up a food from the ground and put lots of pine boughs on them and yesterday afternoon we made a fireplace and chimney of logs and mud close up to one end of our tent so we have a fire inside of our house now. This is the way we sleep when out from camp, but some of the boys will lie down in the dirt with their blankets over them and not tent. And we have the same bedding let us be where we will. I hurt a rotten tooth with a piece of cracker this morning and its ached all day and aches like split now. I think I told you in my last to direct to Co. L 10th Regt. N.Y.V. Cav. Bayard’s Brigade, Washington D.C. Please cut more pieces from news papers and send in your letters to me. I am well and hearty and Joe says I look tough and fat. John Matthews is not very well for a few days but he is around. Daniel Warner and Clark Dexter are in the Hospital at the Regt. Daniel has a very bad cough and Clark has a fever. I did There my candle is just going. I’ll write more in the morn if I have a chance to but if I don’t it must go as it is .
Goodnight
K. Pearsons
Wm. & Harriette
P.S. By the light of the fire, Please hand what Joe has written to Melissa.
K.P.
Morning of the 12th
We’re all well here this morn but we heard last night that John Mattews was worse yesterday. After we left he had two spells of cramping. He has had a diarhea [diarrhea] a week or more but a good many of the boys have been so and get over it in a few days. He went into the Regimental Hospital yesterday which is more comfortable than our tents. Have more room and a stove in it. The beds are up from the ground about 18 inches made of poles and brush (the universal style here for bedsteads). Take good care of that Plant. If you have lots to write just set up 2 or 3 nights and write it so I can have the benefit of it. About the wheat & Jacob its all right only you wrote it $42.26 this time & before you had it $41.26. I have not got any of the lost letters yet. I got a letter yesterday from Alice and I have lost one from there too. I have seen Erastus once when I first came here. This morning I have concluded to have you knit another pair of wristlets and send by mail and send the nightcap by mail too. I think you had better get a large string what are called law size envelops and perhaps it would be best to send them in two separate envelopes. Do as you think best but do them up as tight as you can and press them well so they will stay smooth.
K. Pearsons
[envelope]
Rev Joshua Allen
Gowanda NY
[envelope reverse]
#13 Jan 11 1863
Bell Plain Landing
Marie Shaw has sent for me

Bell Plains Landing
16 Jan 1863

KP2025.001.025

In camp near Bell[e] Plains Landing
Jan 16th 1863
Dear Brother & Sister
A day or two ago I received a letter from you No. 13 with May’s drawing in it. Glad you are fine in health, and I want to know how long twill be before you get fat for most every letter I’ve had says you are getting fat. I am not very poor I weighed 140 lbs yesterday and feel first rate to tell the truth I am well. I wish you could had my Carbine to snapped at the Sheep dog. Its sure fire every time and will carry ½ mile. I hope you will make Clark pay for the damages his dog has done. Joe says he has received 3 letters from Jane, and has sent 2 while he was at Elmira. I have told Joe about it. He don’t feel as though his folks used Melissa as they ought to. They don’t go to see her at all and that’s the reason they don’t get letters from Joe. I don’t blame him for not answering their letters till they used Melissa better. Twice you have told what you sent to me by Bela. It is all right. tis a good plan to mention anything of importance in more than one letter. I recollect about the comforter I traded with Frank. I received 3 stamps you send for maybe I shall want a good many. In my last I ordered the night cap and some more wristlets sent by mail. A few days ago one of our boys got a pair of mittens and their other little notions by mail and done up in brown paper wit ha string tied around it as you would get a bundle from a store and it only cost 6 cents postage. Tell May she can beat me at drawing and tell Ida to send something to me. I believe that is all that requires a reply in your last and now I will tell you that I have received all of the back letters, No. 6, 7 & 8. They have been over a month coming but I was glad to get them. Our company got over a hundred old Camp of Recruit letters last night. The Orderly Sergeant got 10, Joe got 3, John 2 and so on. John Matthews is Commissary Sergant [Sergeant] now. He has been Corporal. He is not able to attend to his business yet but is getting better. Clark Dexter is very sick with fever and out of his head the most of the time for 3 days. I would have liked to seen P. Walden danced his jigs. Those photographs we could not get but if I ever get a chance I will get some and send home. We had a muddy time for a few days at Alexandria but I don’t think twas very deep in our tent. I have not got those letters from Shelden and Walter yet. Those sheep William you write you will buy more or let me have 3 of yours or buy some more as you choose. I am glad you did not sell runner plank for a long sleigh for 10/s pr for they are worth more. I used to get $2.00 for the long runners. I am glad the neighbors are good to you for it seems much better to you know. Joe is not homesick but still he would like to be at home as would all of us but Joe is cheerful and lively here as ever. Well you asked lots of questions in your letter. I’ll try and answer them some time if I don’t in this. We expect there is to be another forward movement across the Rhappahannock [Rappahannock] about 6 miles below Fredericksburgh [Fredericksburg]. It may be to night and it may be in a week. John Matthews has just come into our tent and says he shall stay at the Hospital a little longer for it would tire him and maybe make him worse if he should try to ride. He is gaining and will soon be well I think. I want you to tell his wife this as soon as you can after you get this for she will be worrying about him. Here they raise mostly corn, some tobacco and Wheat. What its worth I don’t know. There is not many negros here. what haven’t gone south have gone north. They don’t half cultivate their land, not but a little stock. I don’t see any sheep, but lots of hogs. The houses are mostly log and resemble the houses in Indian Town. Only these are white washed and a log chimney on the outside of the house at one end. All chimneys here are outside of houses. There is some good Apple and Peach orchards here. I keep my cream horse yet. He is about as tall as my grey and not quite so slim. he is full of the old nick. He rides pretty easy.
Yesterday morn I carried Marvin Farnsworth down to the landing to take the boat for Washington. He is discharged. He rode John’s horse and I led him back. He said he would come and see you in a few days. He told me that I looked healthy and he knows I am hearty for he ate breakfast with me the morn he left. When he comes give him the best you can for a Soldier will appreciate it as well as anyone. He is going to drink cider and eat Apples for me while there. I don’t know what position we will be in this movement but we don’t expect to be brought into very close distance for we have not fired a gun on our horses yet. I’ll write as soon as we move or the first chance I have.
From Your Soldier Brother
Kimball Pearsons
Wm. & Harriette.
[upside down] I bought a bottle of ink yesterday for 10 cts and Joe and I have both written this morn with ink. Its very warm here and rained last night.
[top of page 4] We just got orders to go for 3 days. I suppose on picket.
K.P.

General Franklin's HQ, Jan 1, 1863 Pearsons' home page Camp Bayard, Jan. 19-Feb. 4, 1863