Source: Goyne, Minetta Altgelt. Lone Star and Double Eagle; Texas Christian University Press; 1982, pp. 129-131.
Used by permission.
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Letter to family

Camp Rocky

6 Jul 1863

Still no letter from you has arrived… I have not been able to find out anything about Carl either… Just the hope that everything is going well makes for a very meager diet… Alfred, Kammerling, and Munzenberger have not yet returned from horse trading. We expect them tonight. Sunday C[hristian]. Pantermuhl and I were at the farmer's on the Peach Creek to fetch melons and tomatoes. While we were away, a man of our company died, H[enry]. Puls; I think he had the same sickness as Johann. He got sick on the San Fernando when we stayed behind. Yesterday morning I rode with another man back to the same farmer's to make to coffin. We didn't get back until afternoon, but this time we brought back a lot of melons because we had a wagon with us. We can't complain about our lives now at all; eating vegetables seems to have had a very good effect on all the regiment. There seems to be much more vitality among the men again now. I have not had a single newspaper in hand since coming here; and since we seldom have contact with civilians, we seldom hear political reports either. It seems to me that nothing important has happened either though; otherwise surely it would have seeped through to us anyway. It seems that the people who have overstayed their leaves are to be handled more strictly now than heretofore. They are all to be summoned by the court martial. The colonel offered to leave off the court martial if they would accept extra duty ["wenn sie freiwillig 6 duble Routs annehmen wurden"]. The accepted the bargain, which I consider very stupid of them because the captain [Podewils] told them that they should stay up there [in New Braunfels] until he would send them away. To be sure, he did not have the right to give them the order, but I think he and not the men would have had to answer for that…

7 July [continued]

…Kammerling, Munzenberger, and Alfred came back last night. Kammerling and Munzenberger got horses; they are right beautiful animals. They were ridden yesterday for the first time. Today I found a good opportunity to send the money of yours that I have in hand. A man named [Ernst] Klopper will take it along and deposit it with [Ernst] Scherff. Kammerling used up $50; he will deposit them to Father's account at Moureau's. I hope everything will get straightened out. Yesterday a letter from you finally arrived… I thank Carl for his friendly letter… I cannot fulfill his wish to know where the regiment is going. Every day they say something different. Yesterday I heard we would be sent to Galveston…

8 July [continued]

Klopper did not start out yesterday after all; therefore [Christoph] Pfeuffer will take the letter and the money along today. Pfeuffer is bringing $24. These $24 and the $50 which Father will receive at Moureau's amount to Johann's money.Alfred asked to borrow Carl's money in order to buy himself a horse with it. His father will pay it back to Carl… the new horses are serving well. They already allow us to ride them well. Yesterday Kammerling's broke the rope and ran off. I found it among other horses. It did not make a move to run off when I went up to it, which is quite a lot for a horse that has been ridden only four days in its life… If you get the chance sometime, be so kind and send me my ink bottle, which I forgot up there. I have to borrow ink now all the time, and there is hardly any more in camp.

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