Letter of  Humphrey Blair

April 4, 1864

My Dear Sister

Your kind letter of March 30th came to hand this evening and I haste to reply. I am still enjoying myself as usual and the health here is generally very good I believe there is no sickness of any consequence in the reg't.

I believe I wrote a letter some time ago that you did not receive at least I sent your likeness home and you did not say any thing about it and I have been looking for the other one you promised me You mentioned geting a likeness in a little round case but you did not tell how you got it or who it was please tell me all about it in your next also if you got your own picture that I sent and send me the other if you can.

You wrote that Morrow had some notion of enlisting tell him that I would advise him not to. But I do not pretend to dictate for him. he can use his own will But I think he has a very good excuse for not coming and as he has that he would regret a thousand times of ever enlisting. I know if I had had as good an excuse as he has I would have regreted ever coming but as it is I am very well contented. But if he will wait till my time is out I will agree to stay and let him go or perhaps Sam will stay in Morrows place when his time is out I have often thought when I had to sleep in the mud & snow or stand in or march through the rain snow and mud almost dead with fatigue and no place to rest but in the mud. and nothing to eat or wear but what I had on my back carrying or when the bullets and shells were whizing around like hail. I say I have often thought to myself "Dont I wish I could have had some good excuse for not being here". Morrow can use his own pleasure for my part but if he comes with me I will do the best I can for him But he may expect to stay his three years or at least prepare for it and may prepare to endure what he would not now think he could endure at all. Infantry is the hardest there is and I think heavy artilery is the easiest. It is what I would go in if ever I have to go again. But I guess I have written enough on this subject. Lizzie I think that was a very good story you sent me especially the last one. You did not tell me anything about Newt Bennett what he is doing now or how he is geting along and where he is staying or what he has to say for himself or others. We are still lying here taking times easy But Pete Evert the old reb is coming down this way over the mountains from Virginia and we are ordered to sleep on arms and be ready to march at a minuts warning. We have no horses yet and Col. Runkle said today that we were not going to get any but would have to go either to the potomack or down to Paduca or Bowling green. I do not like the idea of having to leave here. I would rather fight here every day for a month than go back to East Tennessee or to the potomack and starve and march and wallow round in the mud and water and fight and everything else that is disagreeable. But who cares. It is all for the sake of the union. We have done it once and can do it again. We are used to everything but hanging and that has no terror for us. What men have done men can do. "There is no use trying to kill a soldier" is a common expression among us

I have been on provost duty in town for about a month We have very easy times. We have nothing at all to do but stand on the corners of the streets four hours a piece each day and see that the soldiers do not loaf around town without leave or passes from their regiment, and to keep order in the town. We are kind of police men. If the soldiers do not behave right or if they come to town without proper permission, or pass, we arrest them and take them to the provost martial and have a trial, and perhaps send him to the guard house.

There has just came a dispatch that old Evert is still coming. and it is the talk in town that we have a skirmish line out ready for them. well all I can say is let him come. I think he knows better than to try to come in at night and it is now 8 oclock.

We provost guards are ordered to sleep tonight up stairs in a college near headquarters I guess it is make headquarters safe But I think they are worse scared than hurt. I think I have seen much better prospects for a fight. and still no one was hurt At all events I am going to finish this letter if I can unless they get to shooting at me. I think it is only done for an April fool. But it may be that I am that fool.

I had a letter from Sam a few evenings since he was well and still had no notion of reenlisting I believe I shall not reenlist if I do get the chance There is so very much immorality in the army that three years is as long as I care about living among it. and then I would not go in infantry anyway. There is but little or no respect at all paid in the army to the sabbath. And of all the swearing steeling drinking gambling cheating quarreling and blasphemy it is awful. You can have no idea of the vices of camp life. If they would live up to the army regulations it would be pleasant soldiering; but as it is, it is hard enough sure I should like to see this war settled soon for if it is not, our goverment is as near destroyed as any one ever was and recovered. Still I believe we shall win for I think our cause is right if our army is wicked.

But I guess I have written enough for tonight my head appears to be dislocated thinking about old Everett coming but he has not come yet. But pleas write soon and oblige

Your devoted brother D. H. Blair

I send you Gen Burnside photograph He looks as natural as ever This is a very true picture

From:  Civil War Letters and Diaries of David Humphrey Blair