December 9, 1861
Camp Burnside Annapolis
Dear Brother and Friends at Home;
Our letters will have to be written in the night. We have one candle furnished daily—it is a little more than half as long as one of yours, but it is hardly called “adamantine”, will burn three good hours & gives a pleasant light.
There are six of us writing tonight. Five are sitting at a table made of the first box that was sent to us. Two of the boards were used for the platform and the others for legs and braces. The candle is set in our 25 cent candleholder that we carry with us. The guns are standing on one side and the boys are sitting two on 2 benches and one on 1....
These benches are split and hewed out of our firewood—with legs put in with an auger.... it recalls to mind the description Millburn gives of the wedding in the backwoods—about their erecting the house for the bridegroom and making the furniture....
Our stove is a Patent one that we bought last week. Cost $4. It’s made of sheet iron and takes down to 7 pieces so we can carry it. It’s a cute little thing. Our major says there will be a way provided to carry them....
Feeling the necessity of writing (but with no chance for) a seat at the table I stirred about and got another candle and made a candlestick out of a hard cracker & set it on the stove and myself beside it with with a knapsack & part of a bed for a seat.
February 17, 1864
Near Portsmouth Virginia
It is night—the twilight is almost gone. The cold does not abate. Perhaps it is not so very cold. It seems worse because we have had almost summer weather for a long time. Yet is is cold enough to keep ink and water frozen in the opposite part of the tent from the fire.
ADAMANTINE:
A lustrous mineral. The word is also used as an adjective to refer to non-metallic, brilliant light reflecting properties, known as adamantine luster. Diamonds are described as having adamantine luster.
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