GOODELL FAMILY LETTERS- #34
 

Anson to Parents

Foster General Hospital
Newbern Dec. 6, ‘63

Dear Father & Mother

            It is a Sabbath day – clear and cold – and I feel more like keeping near the fire than going out to the cold church – however I may go over to Chapel to hear the hospital Chaplain Mr. Rounce. He is one of the old “stand bys” of the Episcopalian order and makes me think of Priest Williams only his tone is slightly different. This morning I attended morn service at the Dining Hall where he exhorted a while on these two points – namely “His regrets because there were so few present” and Secondly remember the P.M. service would commence at 2 o’clock precisely which was followed by the reading of a prayer from his prayer book after which the assembly was dismissed.

            This afternoon he gave us a very practiced discourse on gratitude from Christ’s remark to the leppers [sp.]‘Were they not then cleansed but where are the nine” His exhortation to the convalescents was very pointed and ver applicable. Some had been raised from beds of sickness that they themselves and the surgeons feared would terminate in Death – then he asked if they like the lepers had returned to give glory to God or had they continued in their selfishness and ingratitude to sin against him.

            I shall get to be quite the Episcopalian if I stay her a good while longer. By the way father I have heard people talk and have read in poetry somewhere about he Churchman and his prayer book. Are the Episcopals of the same creed? It seems strange to me that, smart as their ministers are, they should be confined to a certain set of prayers till they lose all interest in them. It cannot be that they believe in the exercise of a living, strengthening faith. O how good it would sound to hear the voice of a minister that loved the life and power of Salvation and in his prayers would exercise a faith that would stir up an interest in those that heard and bless the heart that beat responsive to his earnest pleadings at the throne of grace. How it would delight me to fall in with such a heart. Everything here is so cold and formal aside from the darkeys. They are noisy enough, if noise constitutes religion, in fact many of them believe that their religion is measured by the amount of noise they make. I would like to attend their meetings but the small pox rages so fiercely among them that it is hardly safe.

            The schools here among the blacks are progressing very well indeed. I wish you could witness them as they are let out of school on Sunday. There is a complete sea of little and big black faces and curly heads.

            Everyone attends school that possibly can – men & woman clear up to fifty, sixty, and seventy years have their spelling books and readers & arithmetic. I saw Uncle Frank as I call him pouring over his arithmetic studying to understand how 4 = 3 = 7 and it puzzled him a good deal. He is over sixty.

            My health is improving rapidly as I could desire it – good quarters, good fare and plenty of exercise in the open air is doing for me what quinine could not do while I remained in the company.

            The doctor her shut down on quinine at one and has not given me a bit since I have been here. He marked on my card as my disease chronic intermittent fever and all my system wanted was strength to throw it off. Hence, he gave me tincture of iron and tonic mixtures to strengthen and assist nature. The result if I have gained every day and now he thinks exercise and good fare are enough without medicine. I am very thankful as well as encouraged for the prospect of returning health. However I probably shall not return to the Company at present. Perhaps the Dr. will find something for me to do here.

            At the office they have received an order to send all able bodied men to their Regiments and employ Invalids as nurses and clerks.

            The Dr. has been around picking out those he wants for hospital service and the orderly tells me my name is on the list which he intends to transfer to the Invalid Corps. I don’t like it yet I can’t help it, however it is probably for the best that I should be transferred from my Co. to this Corps as marching and artillery service is too hard for me.

            There are two vacancies where clerks are wanted. Perhaps I may get one or the other. If this effort to form an Invalid Corps Had been a few days earlier I could have had a detail as clerk in a very pleasant part of the City. The Inspector General Office where the work is light and I could have a good deal of time to myself. I shall know tomorrow what I can do. Maybe fortune will get me a place however I shall not try very hard but will abide events as providence shall order them then all things will be for the best.

            Has Father gone to Boston. If so, when you write him tell him some papers like the Army & Navy Journal, a daily now & then after he has read it would be quite acceptable. Tell me his address and I will write him. I have had no pay for nearly four months and my funds are getting rather short so that I cannot purchase reading matter much and have cut short all my expenses. Pay day will come some time probably.

            As I shall probably remain here quite a while you better direct my letters not to Co. D but simply Anson P. Goodell, Foster General Hospital, New Bern, N.C.

            Write me Mother as often as you can if it be only in pencil. Hezzie will mail it for you.

                                                            Good bye

                                                                                    Your dutiful Son,

                                                                                                Anson

[Written on side of 7^th page]

Tell him too I would like an Atlantic Monthly now and then.