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from Theodore Drake, Camp Randall near Madison, Wisconsin
to Martin Drake, Oak Grove, Dodge Co., Wisconsin
dated Oct. 28, 1864
Dear father,
I arrived at this place the 26th after dark. it rained all of the afternoon which made it rather nasty around camp. I found Tim & Charley here all right-Tim received his bounty, \$335. today. he can get no furlough to go home. but I guess he will take a French one and go. he expects his Mother out here today or tomorrow. H-- Marsh & C. Noyes are here in camp today. Charley Noyes got a substitute. we have not been examined yet but will be in a few days. I think we will leave here some time next week. I don't know where we will go to or where we will be assigned we will go with the boys if such a thing can be done. I shall see their Captain as soon as I can & then can let you know the particulars. we don't have to drill any unless we want to we have to be at our Barracks three times a day to roll call & then we can go where we want. the drafted men have just as much privilege as volunteers they give passes to go out to everyone. there is an orderly to each barrack. Will and myself are in Barracks No.6, Tim & Charley are in no. 7 close by. our rations are beef, rice, sugar, bread & coffee. there is lots of pies cakes, apples &c. brought in to camp for sale. Hat brought some pickles & butter out for Will. Well how do you get along with your work how near have you got your corn husked, and how much plowing done. father I want you to take my Astronomy* and lock it up leave those papers in it & take care of my Draft notice for me. tell Martha to clean my clothes & put them away, tell Mother not to fret about me for it will do no good. not to look on the dark side of the picture, but on the bright side. I enjoy myself very well, our quarters are clean and dry& good. plenty to eat & good cooks. we had to lay on the floor at fonddulac we slept in a room that the invalids used and there was a lot of Gray Backs in it.* I bought me a box of Anguintam for them to eat. tell Jones that I will send his letter back with Hattie Marsh. I had no chance to give it to Richard he will take no notice of such things he is so busy. Harve helped me or I could have done nothing. it is getting too dark & I shall have to close. write soon give me all of the news & send me a paper once in a while. give my love to all of the family and tell them all to write.
I remain as ever your Son
Theodore Drake
P.S. Write as soon as you receive this for no one can tell how long I shall remain here. I sent my picture home with Hat. Marsh
direct to
Camp Randall
Madison, Wis.
*My Grandmother had an ancient brass telescope stored with the letters and other documents. Believe this could be the original owner.
*Were P.O.W.s held there?
From Theodore Drake, Madison, Wisconsin
to Sophia Drake (mother) Oak Grove, Dodge Co., Wisconsin
dated Nov. 1, 1864
Camp Randall
Barracks #6
Dear Mother,
I will write this time hoping it will reach its destination soon. I wrote to father while I was at Fondduloc & since I have been here Lois Noye[r] told me you had received neither of them. it must of been the fault of the post master. perhaps you will receive them before this reaches you. I am well at present but have had a spell of camp sickness. since I came here in fact all of the Clyman boys have had a spell of it. Marsh is not very well today. his wife & Charley Noye[r] was in camp yesterday. they are trying to get him a substitute. he has got to as if he passes examination he gives \$6.00. Charles ---- has got one. I don’t know how long we will stay here. perhaps 2 weeks & perhaps not a day. they are sending off men every day more or less. I saw Capt. (R?)ouse this morning he said it was impossible for me too get in his battery as it was more than full now. I can have the privilege of going in any Inft. Reg. I choose. where do you think I had better go. George Dump advises me to go in the 29th. he says Robert can get me in his company. I think I had better go there if I can. there is quite a number there I am acquainted with. Harvey Crandell was here today. he said he thought Clyman would be drafted again next week. tell Jones he better enlist & make something. for they will take him if he don’t. how is father getting along with his work. how much plowing has he got done & has he got the corn husked. does he keep old ball yet*. yesterday was general inspection. every man that was not present was reported as a deserter. we had to march out with knapsacks haversacks, canteens & all. Major Smith inspected us. there was about three thousand all dressed in blue. our barracks are moped out twice a week & kept clean. we have enough to eat such as it is. bread, pork, beef, potatoes, cabbage, rice, sugar, tea & coffee also salt & pepper. I was up town yesterday. I was all through the capital. it is not finished yet. it is a fine building built of cut stone & iron. Madison is not layed out half as nice as watertown. the streets run in all directions. have you got my picture at watertown yet. if you have, how do you like it. I send you one I had taken at Fonddulac by (H?)attie Marsh. if I can get some photographs taken I will do so. I am afraid if I do we will have to leave before I can get them or I could have them taken any time. I will have to close for the time. I will write soon again. write as soon as you receive this. send me some paper & give me all of the news. tell them all to write. love to all
With respect yours
From your son
Theodore Drake
Direct
Camp Randall
Madison Wis.
*term “direct” used for “address”
*old ball was the horse
Theodore Drake to Sophia Drake
Chattanooga, Tenn. to Clyman, Wis.
Dated: Nov. 11, 1864
Dear Mother,
I left Camp Randall last monday at ---Oclock P.M. for atlanta and have passed so much
of my journey in safety. from madison I went to chicago then to Indianapolis from there
to Louiseville Ky. then to Nashville & from there to this place. I stayed all night at the last
place mentioned & arrived here this morning. we expected to leave for atlanta to night ar
6:00 -------------------- assigned to the 3rd regt. so you see drafted men go just where they
choose to put them & no where else. there is 216 of us. I have got a good comrade. he
is from the town of Lomina. he has been a soldier before he was in the 10th Wis. I am
here all alone. no friends to talk about home to, nor anything else but I think I can stick it
through if my health & life is spared. I never shall desert I have had a chance to see the
effects of it if caught. there is 2 or 3 hundred of them here. they are put to hard labor for
3 years to work for the Govt. they are to work on fortifications today strongly guarded. if
father had taken me to watertown that morning instead of going to the grove I would have
been all right. could of went with the boys & in a much better place. but it is all for the
best for all I know. I hope so. I shall now undertake to give you a description of the
country I have passed through & I will commence with Ill. it is the best state I saw on my
journey. most all [prairie]. Indianna is a low swampy state thinly inhabited I am speaking
of the part I came through. Ky. is right the reverse being mountains it is scarcly possible
for man or beast. there is peaks as high as you can see covered with large trees but look
like bean poles from below. the rail road in places runs along the side of the mountain. on
one side of the tracks the rocks are as high as you can see. perpendicular. on the other
side is far above the tops of the highest trees. we passed through 5 or 6 tunnels some 3/4
of a mile long. we passed over several iron bridges over 100 feet high. it would make
your hair stick up to travel on such a road. we came through Cave City just one mile
north of mammoth cave an another place we passed was sinking creek where a large
stream of water came out of the ground ran a few --- & sank out of sight. Tenn is just
about as bad as Ky. in the valley is where the folks live what few there is. their houses
are built of logs three times as poor as our old house. once in a great while there is a
frame house. none of these states is settled half as much as Wis. nor half as good the
principle. articles of cultivation are corn & cotton with some tobacco & wheat. I am in
plain sight of missionary ridge & lookout mountain. the latter is 3 miles high there is a big
farm & village & large hospital on top of it but it is so high it can’t be seen. well Mother I
have told you as much as I can think of for this time but I will write soon again & as often
as I can & keep you well posted. don’t wait until you hear from me again & when I join
my regt. write twice a week send me lots of papers for here they can’t be had. I saw this
sign held up by the soldiers on a rubber blanket at a post as we passed by please drop us
a paper. the butter you sent did me lots of good I have got some yet as much as I can
carry. my love to you all
from your son T. Drake
I write this on my knee it looks bad tell them all to write often not wait for me
Dora
Theodore Drake to Martin Drake (father)
Dalton, Georgia to Clymen, Wisconsin
dated: Nov. 15,1864
Dear Father,
Having a few leisure moments I concluded to write home again. I wrote to mother last
Friday I was at Chattanooga, we stayed there untill Sunday when we drawed our
equipments & 40 rounds of cartridge & came to this place, dalton is thirty nine miles from
chatt. by rail road. the road is tore up from atlanta to kingston, twelve miles south of
here & they are removing everything to Chatt. we are the advanced guard now. atlanta,
Marietta & Kingston are burnt. Sherman is going to Savannah with 3 corps. Thomas is
after Hood with 2 Corps, our Regt. is going with Sherman. I don't think we will join it
very soon. we was sent here to strengthen the garrison, the talk is now that we will burn
this place & fall back to (T)unnell hill this side of Chatt. which is a very strong place the
report is that Hood is on the Tenn. river with 40,000 men perhaps he will try Chatt. but
forty thousand can't take it for it is too well fortified, it is raining here today but we are in
our tents & can keep dry. we pitched tents last night & our orderly told us if we wanted
boards to tear down a couple of houses which was done in a short time. we got boards
enough to floor & side our tent which makes it quite comfortable.
Nov. 16. I had to stop writing yesterday on account of being detailed for guard duty.
I was stationed at head quarters. Major Stephens commanding, it rained all night last
night but as luck would have it I was in the guard quarters & did not get wet. our tent
sheds rain as well as a house, it is made of thick canvas each man draws a piece
containing four yards, how are you a getting along with your work — — have you got
your plowing done & who have you got to work for you. I hope you will get your work
all done this fall for if you don't you won't get your seeding done in time. has mother got
my picture yet, that I had taken at watertown. I would of had some taken if I had stayed
long enough while I was at Madison, has Martha gone to town yet to learn the dress
making trade, how is the tobacco a getting along, is it dry enough to pick yet or are you
going to leave it untill spring, if I had it down here I could make some money on it.
tobacco is \$2 a plug Whiskey 6 dol. a guard and some of them will have it at any price if
it is to be had. we drawed 5 days rations yesterday & I think we will stay here a few days
long enough for to receive a leter from home if you will write one & if I don't three cents
is not much of a loss. I shall have to close this letter, but I will write soon again, it don't
make so much differance if I don't hear from you for a while if you only hear from me.
give my love to all of the folks & write as soon as you receive this.
Yours respectfully
from your son
Theodore Drake
Direct to Co. B 3rd Regt. Wis., Inft. Dalton, Georgia
tell them all to write.
Theodore Drake to Parents
Nashville, Tennessee to Oak Grove, Wisconsin
dated: Dec. 13, 1864
Dear Father & Mother,
Thinking you would like to know where I was I thought I would write while I had the
time. I left Chatt. Dec. 1 & went to Cowan Station. Stayed there over night & came here
the next day. we got here just in time to save ourselves from Hoods hands, he took the
R.R. about 10 P.M. the same day. we are in camp now in a Southern Gen. dooryard. it is
on a side hill. he says he paid \$1,000 an acre for the land & \$22,000 for buildings, trees &
c. he has got a nice grren house full of all kinds of flowers. he has left it now & gone
north. there is a line of breastworks running through the yard. the soldiers have destroyed
all the fence for firewood. we have had some cold weather for the last week the ground
froze about five inches consequently the boys suffered considerable. how is all of the
folks. I have not heard from home since I left Mad. I would like to but I have not stayed
in one place long enough to receive a letter if you did write them. Have you got all your
plowing done. is it very cold there. does Charly go to school. have they drafted our town
the second time. I heard there was another call for three hundred thousand men. have
you got my picture yet if you have is it a good one. Do you keep old Ball yet, have you
butchered the beef& hogs. how is my tobacco getting along is it most dry. when you
write give me all of the news. I think we will stay here some time. our division was
ordered to build winter quarters monday we have got a good tent we dug in the side of the
hill & built a chimney. so you see we have fire in side. our bed is 4 great coats 4 blankets
Rubby & straw we have a coffee pot big enough for fam. have coffee three times a day
plenty of sugar beef pork hard tack &c.
Write as soon as you receive this give my love to all of the family & a share for
yourselves
From your son
Theodore Drake
Direct
1st Division
20th Army Corps Detatchment
Nashville, Tenn.
P.S. Tell me where Charley & Tim are I want to write to them. Tell Ed to write tell all of
our folks also. I will write soon again
*postmark Dec. 20, marked received Dec. 22