Dr. Seth Rogers to his Daughter, Monday Evening, January 12, 1863

Monday evening, January 12, 1863.

Tonight I am seated in my own tent, and my orderly is patiently practising on a copy of his name on the other side of my little hard pine table. I have a double tent, two joined with a rough floor elevated about a foot from the sand and open at the sides so that the wind can whistle under, as well as over, my two rooms. These rooms are each nine feet square and parted by the folds of the two tents. I have room enough for a large family and it seems wroug that I should have so much, while those little 7 X 8 tents of the soldiers, literally steam with four bodies in them. But with the clothing allowed by Government, they could never be comfortable alone at night. On the whole, I like these little tents for soldiers better (than those which receive a larger number. I see no way of isolating soldiers into decency. The unnatural life must, of course, have few material comforts. On the other hand the out-of-door life compensates for many violations of wholesome laws. I find our officers universally gaining flesh. . . . Instead of fire-places, I have found a little stove with so much draft that I can have all the front open and thus get the light which makes a tent so pleasant and social. . . .

SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June,1910: February 1910. p. 343