1862 March 25 Washington, D.C.

Camp Kelly D.C. March 25/62

Dear Sam[uel Ritter]

Yours of 10th arrived duly--I am
now in the same fix, that I have been in for two
weeks past--namely want of items to make a
decent reply--so you must take it as it is--
You say, that you notice that a part of our
Regt--has gone to completing some forts & wonder if
they can exercise the manual of arms with shovel
as well as musket--well it is no doubt a big
think, but we can't see it--neither Forts or shovels
have yet come across our fort path--we don't have
the pleasure of 25 c pr. day either--for being laborers--
about all we do is drilling--& sending a few men
daily two or three miles off--to guard forts--
Beyond the usual number of camp rumors-
such as "Going to guard Richmond"--Going to
be mustered out next week," "Going back to
camp at Wissahickon," etc things are dull--we
have daily two battallion drills--& should have if
orders were obeyed two company drills also--but owing
to the negligence of our officers--we have the latter
few & far between--the weather for two or
three days past has been beautiful--quite a
contrast to last week, when we had rain nearly
every day--the health of the Regiment is
excellent with the exception that everybody is

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is inflicted with that spring epidemic--laziness--
which partly accounts for my negligence in
not answering your letter sooner--this after-
noon however I made the desperate resolve of
writing some letters--my calculations are how-
-ever somewhat cut short by the want of items
owing to the general dullness of things here--
We are camped about two miles south east
of Washington near the Baltimore pike--up
among the hills that abound in this neighbor-
hood--we have plenty of water--a good
drill ground--which could be well used for
the discipline of the Regt. were it not for the
general incompetency of the officers--both field
& line--were it not for the incumbrance the
88th might be one of the best Regiments in the field
as it is composed of excellent material, plenty of
good fighting stuff, well we'll have to trust
to time to id us of this evil--our compy. is partic-
ularly afflicted in this way--having a head
who has yet to drill us for the first time--
There goes the call for Battallion drill & I
must close hastily--My Regards to
Inquirers

Yrs &c
George W. Wagner

George Emil Wagner, 1842-1904, of Philadelphia County Pa., began the war as an orderly sergeant with the 88th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and rose to be Lieut. Colonel of the 9th United States Colored Troops. He was later the keynote speaker at the dedication of the 88th Pennsylvania's Gettysburg monument in 1889.

MSS 11174