Camp
Army life was not at all what Jaris Adams had thought it was going to be. He had been in camp now for just over a week, and he hated every minute of it. Though he was raised on a farm, he could not get used to sleeping on the ground, using a latrine, eating hardtack. And he hated the noise. The men all seemed to be in high spirits, which he knew was a good thing. But they were up playing music, gambling, carousing, until all hours of the night. As an officer, one of his duties was to try to enforce curfews, but it was damn near impossible at this point in the war effort. They had word that Franz Sigel’s men were headed toward them and that there could be a skirmish, maybe even a full-blown battle, any day. That was enough to keep morale—and noise—at an indescribable high.
His days consisted mainly of drilling the troops. As a lieutenant, he was in charge of a certain number of men. Of course, he had officers above him as well. A good portion of the day was spent drilling—practicing following commands, stepping in line, even shooting. Some of these men were bankers and businessmen who had never even handled a gun before. Part of his duty was to make sure that they knew how to take care of their weapons and how to use them when the time came. And then, on some days, they would pick up camp and move. Sometimes they would only go a couple of miles. Other times, it seemed they would march the better part of the day. It was on those days that Jaris wished that he had joined the cavalry. Though he was allowed to ride his horse, trying to keep the stragglers in line tried his patience considerably.
He had hoped to write to Cordia everyday if possible, but in his first few days of camp, he had been too busy or too exhausted to write her even once. Before he knew it, over a week had passed, and he had yet to write to anyone. He received a letter from his mother a few days after he arrived in camp. She had sent her love and the love of the family. She had mentioned that Cordia looked so sad lately. She knew it must be because she was missing him something awful. This was actually good news to Jaris. He was hoping that “absence makes the heart grow fonder” would have its effect over his fiancée. Still, he had not heard from Cordia, which was surprising, because she had promised to write often. Perhaps her letters had not made it through just yet. There certainly was no reliable way to get letters to constantly moving men.
Carey’s regiment was camped nearby, and the cousins spent time together whenever they would get a chance. Unfortunately, that wasn’t too often, what with all the drilling and marching. Jaris often wondered how Will was making it. He prayed that, if the time came where he would be engaged in battle, his cousin would not be standing across that line from him. Still, he did not have much time to think about that either.
Finally, he had the opportunity one afternoon to try to compose a letter to Cordia. It was raining outside, so there was really no way to get the men to drill. Though some of the officers had been lucky enough to be issued a cot, he was still sleeping on a mat on the ground. He tried to get comfortable and prop himself up enough to be able to write without spilling his ink. The light from a lantern was all that he had to see by, that and an occasional flash of lightning that came in the tent flap. His tent mate—another officer—had taken this small break from drilling to try to take a nap.
Jaris thought for a moment before he began to compose his letter. Finally, he put his pen to paper and began.
May 25, 1861
Dearest Cordia,
I have arrived at camp and can’t say that these first few days have exactly been what I had envisioned. Most of our time is spent drilling and marching, with an occasional meal break in between, which is not to indicate that anything we have to eat tastes much like food. Though I am still supporting the cause with all my heart, I hope that I can grow more accustomed to these conditions. Else, there is not much to stop me from coming home to you. Of course, I exaggerate. But I do miss you something awful. How I long to see your face. I hope that everyone is well back in Lamar, which, though is not very far away, seems a million miles or so from here. Please tell my mother I intend to write her back as soon as I find time. I hear them calling us to drill now, though it is still raining. Please do not worry over me. I will return to you shortly, when this war is over.
Love,
Jaris
He quickly stuffed the letter in an envelope and dropped it in the post box on the way to drill.
It had not taken even a full day for Will and the rest of the Union men coming out of Lamar to locate their regiment of Union soldiers in camp near the Spring River, just a ways south of Barton County. He had taken to camp life very quickly, made several friends, and didn’t even mind the drills they practiced over and over. The long days helped to keep his mind off of his brother, his sister, and Miss Cordia Pike. His sergeant, Teddy Bolder, had commented on his very first day in camp that Will was a natural as a soldier. He said he saw a promising future ahead for the young man. And though Will truly enjoyed the army life, he wasn’t so sure that he would ever want to be promoted much beyond the private he was now. It was one thing to be responsible for yourself on the battlefield. It was quite another to be responsible for the lives of thousands of other men.
A few days ago, Will had received a letter from his sister and one from Cordia. Since he had left Lamar, his mind had often drifted back to the conversation he had had with Cordia the night before he left. On several occasions, he had thought, perhaps he had dreamt the whole occurrence. Maybe it was just one of those moments that he had created in his own mind to ease the pain of losing his brother or of this coming war. But then, he received her letter, and not only did it become clear to him that he had not invented what had happened between them, but that she actually did have feelings for him. Though he wasn’t sure what that would mean, considering she was engaged to his cousin, just the idea of that angelic woman waiting for him at the end of this war was enough to put a smile on his face, even when drilling in the rain.
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