While In Washington He Goes With Others To Fords Theatre.

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War-date Union officer's letter, 10pp. 8vo., written by Lt. William M. Thurston, Battery F (Ricketts), 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, "Camp near Petersburg," [Va.], Jan. 8, 1865, in part: "I an now writing in Fort Stedman. The battery is moved. Lieut. Cambell's Hd. Qrs. is here. Wireman is in Baty 11 and my section is in Baty 14…picket firing has abated to some extent. Quiet prevails along the entire line save an occasional shot fired by some sleepless sentries…I left Sunbury…morning 2nd Jan. 1865…at Baltimore…I immediately looked after a bus to convey me to Washington Depot. I did not look long…I heard a darky cry out…dis way for Washington. I soon found myself quite comfortably seated in a stage coach…the train arrived [at washington…went to the United States Hotel…then started in company with some officers for Fords Theatre. The plays was good, but I did not enjoy them…I went to the Provost Marshal to procure a pass to join my company…to my surprise I recd a order to report to Rendezvous of Distributions and take a detachment of men to City Point. Here my trouble commenced…it was quite dark when I arrived at the camp…the 5th…when I started with 88 men for Alexandria to take the mail boat for City Point. We arrived there at 3…here came to tug of war…the mail boat is out of repairs…you must wait another day…now I am getting blind with sick head ache. The men helped me back to the soldier's rest…I was so sick I though I could not live. One of the men went out and found me a place to sit at the hotel. They put me in bed…we remained in the city till 3 p. m. Jan. 6th when we spied the Dictator gliding over the blue waters of…Potomac…soon we where all on board and off she steamed for Dixie…fog commenced to hover around us and the captain anchored the boat…next…the boat run on a sandbar…after strenuous exertions the boat started on its perilous journey…the winds…dashed against the vessel's side…she reeled and rolled. The passengers became sick. I was compelled to lie down…we arrived at City Point at 4 a. m…[Monday 9th, 1865]…the boys in my section are putting me up a house and I must go and superintend the job…Campbell…looks for his captaincy every day…W. H. Thurston, Lieut. Baty F, 1st Pa. Arty, 2nd Corps…". Minor toning, else VG

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