FORT MOULTRIE, S. C., May 23, 1843.
My Dear Brother:
*
* * * * * * * * *
Leaving the seasons
to look after themselves, I'll try and give you an idea of how our days pass in
a garrison like this. Here at Fort Moultrie we have about 250 soldiers, divided
into four companies. These are quartered some inside the wall, some outside.
All the unmarried officers—
eight of us—live
inside; all the married, five, outside. This being the headquarters of the
regiment, we have the Colonel and his band of about fifteen instruments. Every morning
at daylight all get up at reveille, attend a drill, either as infantry or
artillery, at sunrise; breakfast at seven, have a dress parade at eight, and
half an hour after the new guard takes the place of the old one,—а new officer
relieving the old one. After that each one kills time to suit himself till
reveille of next morning commences the new routine. Thus it is every fair day
except Sunday, when we have an extra quantity of music, parade, and inspection
in honor of the day and to keep our men in superfine order at church. Thus, you
see that every day at nine o'clock and after we have nothing to do but amuse
ourselves. Some read, some write, some loaf, and some go to the city. For the
latter class a barge is in attendance, going and coming. Although six miles
from a city, we have all its advantages, whilst separated from its annoying
noises, taxes, and expenses. . . . During the past winter I have been at North
Carolina twice, at Savannah once, and at Charleston some hundred times. The
fact is, in the summer time we are so enveloped with citizens that we have to
make acquaintances whether or no. When they move to Charleston and the country,
they send invitations which must be accepted, or give offence. The consequence
was that two or more of us had to go constantly as representatives of the
whole,—always in rotation, unless duty or pleasure coincided, when a greater
number would cross the water. These parties are very various, from the highly
aristocratic and fashionable, with sword and epaulettes, or horse-racing,
picnicing, boating, fishing, swimming, and God knows what not. A life of this
kind does well enough for a while, but soon surfeits with its flippancy,—mingling
with people in whom you feel no permanent interest, smirks and smiles when you
feel savage, tight boots when your fancy would prefer slippers. I want relief,
and unless they can invent a new Florida war I'll come back and spend a few
months with you in Ohio. But as my visits have been, heretofore, in the spring
and summer, I'll wait for the fall this time, when I hope once more to see you
all at home and Mansfield both. . . .
SOURCE: Rachel
Sherman Thorndike, Editor, The Sherman Letters: Correspondence Between
General and Senator Sherman from 1837 to 1891, pp. 22-4
