C. Leary to [Richard Yates]

Camp Mather Peoria May 28th/61

Dear Sir

I received your kind letter of the 25th and beg to say that I had supposed I had given you that Counterfeit Bill if not you will find it in the drawer next the window I think between the leaves of the old day Book. I suppose you have been informed as to the result of our election [Barrington?] was elected Captn and Wm Avery by an unjust decision 2nd Lieut he only got 37 votes out of 108. We had supposed it should have been a majority vote and were told so by the judges previous to election but next day were informed that a plurality vote elected we were about to break up the company on account of it but rather than return home as it would look like a disgrace we acquiesced and were sworn into the U.S. Service Saturday morning 18 of the New Boston men refused the oath and 1 from Keithsburg Jim Nelson as the

company is now Composed I do not believe the same officers could be again elected they are wholly unfit for their position and I believe nothing but the desire of being of Service to the Country causes a majority to serve under them. Timmons the orderly Sergt. who was elected in New Boston and was found unfit for the duty not only from incapacity but he has been drunk and has been cut severely in the hand in a row in the City is Still kept in his position to satisfy the boys before election it was pretended he resigned and that I should take the position as I had all along performed the duty when there was writing to be done and I was reported to Capt. Pope as orderly. This I suppose was done to make the men believe that I was fittest for orderly and should not be run for anything else But since then he retains his position and nothing has been done to remove him I expect when we get regularly into Service such will not be the case. the man will then speak for himself and elections will

not be governed by the influence of whiskey We have no information as to our destination but it is said that the six regiments would be encamped in 2 Divisions and that this would be one of the places of encampment that we were to receive the other two regiments this week. We are not yet uniformed. The U. S. has sent on Blankets but they are very inferior. I would not exchange your gift for 2 pairs of them. We are well off now in that respect. Harry Weaver and I can make a good bed between us we have our Shanty for sleeping boarded with plenty of hay on that and six Blankets between us We all take our share in cooking. We have 2 cooks 3 water carriers 2 dish washers 1 [Chamberlain?] and 1 Wood carrier. We have to go for water a little over a quarter of mile within the encampment. I am exempted or at least have been up to this time from guard duty so that I am not exposed to night dews We have preaching here twice on Sundays at 10 A.M. and at 3 P.M. when we have a

large concourse of the citizens here we have large numbers of visitors in the camp every day from 10 A.M. till sundown so that it has a very lively appearance we have got into bad odor with the citizens on account of the unruly members of the different companies the Mercer Compy get their share of it and not more than they deserved but things are assuming a better appearance since they have been sworn into U.S. Service. this is caused perhaps not only from being kept closer in their quarters but they are getting rid of whatever money they may have fetched from home, so that they cannot procure liquor John Bevins was here last week for 3 days with his wife and Sister in law I believe his object was to obtain a Sutlers place but there were no appointments made outside of the Regiment John Miles joined our Compy at Monmouth with the expectation of promotion but he was disappointed he got no place. With love to all the family and remembrances to enquiring Friends

Yours truly &c

C O Leary

P.S. any remarks I have made about our officers you will please not repeat as it may cause trouble