1861 August 18 Head Quarters 18th Reg. N.Y.V. Alexandria [Virginia]

Dear Father

Sunday A dull drisley Rainey day;
It appears that you have not received
my letters, I have written two and have not received any
answer. Rodney Fedder received one from his Father and it
says in it that you would like to hear from me. The
last one I had from you was July 31st I was very glad
that you sent me those postage stamps as the letters
do not go so as they do with them on. I would like
to hear from you once a week I will write to you the same
Tell Henrietta that I am very much obliged to her
for those papers she sent me they were just the thing
I wanted to see, and allso to Anna for those she sent
me I have written to Ann and have not recieved no
answer. I see by the papers that there has been a very
large fire in Dor[?] I'd like to have been there, it must
look bad around the Old Dutch Church and that
part of the town where the fire was. I suppose you have
hard all the news about us from Capt. Truax I hear
from the boys that have got letters from home that
the Capt. has told the folks that the boys would not
come home if they could and that there was not one
in company but what had gained over ten pound.
this is not so, we do not fare any better than we did
before. You must not believe everything he says. I know

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how he is, he talks to hear himself talk. we are a good
deal better off without him than with hm. Dall Barhydt
got a letter from his sister Nancy and it said that
the Capt. had told her that he had been in the
Guard House about twenty times and that he would
not do any duty without being put in there, this is
a lie, Dal has not been in once and he does as much
as any of the boys. We have moved our camp about
one mile from our former one under the guns of
Fort Ellsworth and a Maine Battery, Our whole
Brigade is camped together consisting of the 15th, 18th,
31st & 32nd Regts, the 16th has been taken out on account
Col. Davis a the Battle of Bull Run. Col. Franklin is
our Brigade Col. now. We have a mean place for our camp
the mud is ankle deep when it rains it has been mudy
ever since we have been here, Yesterday Gill Harman
and I went out of the lines and got some boards off
of a house for to make a floor to sleep on we have a
very good one it is about 4 inches from the ground with
a little slope towards the foot I dont like to lay on
the ground any more as it makes my back so lame a
good many of the Reg. are getting the Fever Ague. The
Regiment has had new Caps with the letter of their
company and the number of the Reg. on them allso
two pair of cotton flannel drawers, two pair of stockings
and one shirt like those Henriet made for me. I
sent you twenty (20) dollars last monday by express
I though you might as well have the use of it as

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for me to spend it here follishly it cost me a dollar
to send it I have got enough left untill we get paid
off agian, all I drawed was 19 1/2 dollars for 1 1/2 months.
Thursday I sent you my Revolver and undershirts also
Potographs the revolver was more bother to carry it than
it was worth you ill have more use for it than
I will it is all cleaned up now all you will have
to do is to rub it over with a rag and sweet oil once
in a while the undershirts they took up so much room
in my knapsack we will get more shirts in a few
days. About those photogaphs I dont think you know
all of the boys the one on my left is Wm McKinney, one
on my right is John Pollard, the next Till Harman
the next Cris Peters. they aint taken very plain the
sun was very strong at the time, they were the best
I could get if you want any more of them let me
know and I will try and get them of the Artist. I will
try and get some small ones taken would you like to
have my ambrotype maybe I can get one of them
taken Give those two that are marked J. P. to Elleage
Clute in Green street and tell them who the boys are
and who sent them. let me know if you have recived
them and the money I got receipts for both of them.
How is the Big shop getting alon is there much work
going on there now how is Travell on the Rail road. Give
respects to all the boys on the road. There is not much
of any importance going on here. You ought to see
what good houses there is tore down by the boys to

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make foors off there were two house that were
nearly whole but now there is nothing left of them
but the frames they belong to secessinists who have
left their homes and all and joined the Rebel
army Nothing more at present Give my love
Henriett, John, Uncle Add. Dunck. and all his folks.
Ann, and Jim. Good Bye

From Your Aff Son,
A.D. Barhydt
Co. E. 18th Regiment N.Y.S.V.
No drill to day.

Andrew D. Barhydt, 18th New York Infantry. Barhydt, 19 years old, enlisted May 2, 1861, at Schenectady; mustered in as corporal Co. E, May 17, 1861, to serve two years; reduced, date not stated; mustered out with company May 28, 1863, at Albany, N. Y.

Stephen Truax, 1808-1889, was a saloon keeper in Schenectady N.Y. who served for several months in 1861 as Captain of the 18th New York.

MSS 8979-l