LETTER # 12- B., CHESTER COVELL'S LETTER TO HIS UNCLE LYMAN G. & MARIAH 
  E.COVELL, IN STEUBEN CO, INDIANA,
 
Washington Dec 8,  1861.,
Dear uncle and Aunt:-
• It is with pleasure that I again take my pen in hand to write a
few lines to you, I am well at present and hope that these few lines may
find you all the same, I received your kind letter dated November 24, ab-
out a week ago, I was glad to hear from you again and hear that you were
all well. I was also glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Ohio so
well» I presume I should of enjoyed myself well if I had been with you,
but my visiting is to a stand for the present. I have plenty of company
here but they are not the right ones, Uncle you can think of war and read
of war and talk of war, but as long as you are not a soldier you will
know but little about what war is. they picture out fine things in Papers
How well soldiers fare and so on^ but when the soldier gets what he des-
erves it will be when money don't make officers: The battles that have
been fought are specimens of dicipline: There has already been hundreds
of men killed by the means of having poor officers to lead them, and the
rebels are getting the best of it: by outfit ting our officers in skirm-
ishes here every few days: We have officers in our Regiment that don't
know enough to go in when it rains. The most of then are rich men's sons
from the cities and would get lost in a patch of woods a half a mile ' - '
square, this beats any place I ever saw for woods and hills, the health
of soldiers here is improving but there is many sick and dying now they
seem to regard the death of a soldier as a trifling affair, and v/hen they
( ' find a man dangerously sick they seem to try to hurry him out of the way 
as soon as possible, this looks strange to tell but it is so and I never
once thought that I could- of changed as I have my self. When I first en-
listed the first two men that died in the regiment were tent mates of site
.^mine and I felt for them as I would for a brother,! but I have seen so
much that such things now does not move me.. It is nothing strange to see
men killed in our camp by our own men, as it is natural for men to fight.


page 2.-
- They will fight among then selves if no other way. but I think they
will all get enough of it before this war is ended for the rebels have
got so that they can make wooden about as well as the Yankee's can:
and they are bound to fight it out, there is nothing going on here worth
mentioning at present. Gen. Mc Clellan visits us occasionally but says
nothing about what he is going to do. Uncle Charles Cook has returned
from California,I have not seen him. I heard to day that Uncle Willlam"s
boys have enlisted. We have very fine weather here at present no snow;
we live in our tents this winter 1 cannot think of anymore to write at
present so, good by for this time. Please write soon Respectfully Yours;
From CHESTER COVELL

On the bottom of this letter was the following, written by Lyman G. Covell
Monday 16, another beautiful day, cleaned wheat children to S ch/
17th a fine day got up wood, evening to meeting took 10 in my load.
Elder Perky preached he came home with us, is now in bed all well; you
may send this back.