Fort Wise, December 10, 1860.
My dear sister:
Our winter of discontent has not as yet been made glorious
by a mail, although the sun has favoured us almost daily for the last four
months.
A messenger starts to-day for Denver City, and I will direct
this to him, trusting that it may reach you in the course of the winter. Does
it not seem strange that you can send and receive answers to letters from
Europe sooner than from this post, even under the most favourable
circumstances? I have nothing important to write. The only event we look
forward for is for fair weather to help us finish our quarters. So far we have
little to complain of, and two weeks more will enable us to shelter ourselves from
the uncertainty of the storms that sometimes do occur here. Yesterday a
snow-storm came up that foreboded a violent one, but this morning the sun came
out, bright and pleasant, and the snow, although in considerable quantity, is
fast disappearing, and by to-morrow we can resume our work. The hunters are all
out after deer and antelope, and with any luck will get enough to last a month
at least.
If we receive no mail, we escape the excitement and turmoil
of the election, that seems to have disturbed everything in the States, if it
has not broken you to pieces. We have heard of Mr. Lincoln's election and the
probable difficulty he will experience, if not direct opposition, to his
inauguration. It seems lamentable that this Union that we have boasted of and
glorified so much should be broken up, but I hope our next news will be more
satisfactory. How a disruption will affect me I cannot foresee; probably would
result in my leaving the service at once. I do not feel quite ready to do this,
but when I am ready I want to, in looking back, if I have any cause of regret,
have no one to blame but myself.
Believe me, as ever,
Your affectionate
brother,
John Sedgwick.
SOURCE: George William Curtis, Correspondence of John
Sedgwick, Major-General, Volume 2, p. 29-30
