Dear Charley

     I should have answered your letter some time ago but that I have been quite unwell. I was only about a week unable to attend to duty but for two more didn't do anything in the way of letterwriting that wasn't absolutely necessary. I am all right again now and shall endeavor to keep my liver in better order in future. I have taken Calomel enough to kill an elephant but it seems to have cured me. I take medecine so rarely that I Can afford to dose heavily once in a while.
     I am in hopes of getting North during the fall if there is nothing doing in this department. No furloughs are granted, but two officers from each regiment are Kept at home recruiting and our colonel intends changing them Every month or two. Two have just started to relieve my Captain and another now with him and if the thing is kept up my turn will Come between now and New Years

It is rather late in the day to say anything on the subject of your volunteering for you have by this time probably either done it or given up the idea. The latter I hope unless you go as a commissioned officer though you would no doubt soon rise in the army. In the navy otherwise the preferable branch of the service, you would not have much Chance. I hope you will get a Quartermastership. You would make a good one. You speak of it as if it were easier to fill than a lieutenancy. Next to the Colonelcy I think it the most important office in the regiment. At all events our troops suffer more from inefficient quartermasters than from anything else.
At all events don't go as a private. Brains Education and patriotism are not one tenth part as valuable in the ranks as Constitutions accustomed to exposure and hardship and muscles inured to daily manual labor (not gymnast's muscles). I doubt whether you ought to go at all having such weighty duties at home but of that of Course I have no right to give an opinion.
This much is certain though, the Country must be in a desperate Condition before it Can afford to fill its ranks with men of education, energy and Character. It has not got enough of the article to spare where much poorer will do.
Put it merely as a question of dollars and Cents. You Can Command in ordinary times say $1000 pr annum

This is your value to the Country. The part you represent in its wealth. The navvy along side of you in the ranks is worth say one fourth as much to the Country and for this purpose Answers quite as well.
     You may think I am arguing on rather low grounds and if examples were needed to be set it would be quite true, but no class has hung back from the war And if enough cannot now be found to volunteer, why draft, and no one will object to taKing his Chance of having to go
     Miss Leavitt in her last letter expressed a fear that the Cake she sent was not good for anything. I must have expressed myself very badly in my letter acknowledging the receipt of it and sent to her soon after. Please tell her the Cake was very nice indeed, delightful, delicious, ambrosial,—is there any stronger adjective applicable to cake—if so add it. I Can't think of Any. You have not sent me another box lately, have you? One for me was lost coming from Hilton Head here. I was not expecting to receive one and Cant imagine what was in it or who sent it. WE had a young hurricane here about a fortnight ago, blowing down all the tents on the ramparts, and mine into the moat besides. I did not lose much except some letters etc. Mrs Biddle's and Miss Holmes Cartes de visite were picked up floating in the moat. Mrs B wearing a more lugubrious And

unlike expression than ever. Apropos to Miss H I sent you a letter for her some time ago. I presume you received and forwarded it.
     WE are anxiously looking for the next mail. Our latest New York dates were Aug 23d at which time a disagreeable uncertainty existed as to the state of affairs
     WE have rumors of a battle, of McDowell's death of Bank's Capture but nothing definite.
     I Confess to having reluctantly given up all hopes of McClellan. If he is our best General we are in an evil case. Such a Campaign as his is enough to damn any Commander. I don't believe we were outnumbered in front of Richmond. I think we were outmaneuvered. The same Generals attacked now our right, now our left, now our rear, crushing each in turn by superior numbers while the bulk of our army lay just out of supporting distance either entirely unengaged or deceived by slight false attacks. McClellan seems lacking in Coup d'eil, never discovers in time what the enemy are doing (has never yet I believe succeeded in reaching the battle field before the heavy fighting was over) but yet is slow enough in his own movements to betray his plans to the enemy long before he is ready to execute them. Unless we can find a General really worthy of the name no sacrifice of blood and treasure will avail us much. No one doubts that

McClellan possesses great abilities. Perhaps his experience on the Chickahominy has taught him how to Conquer on the Rapidan. At all events let us hope it. Give my love to all the family. Let me hear from you and Know what you are going to do and believe me

Most Sincerely yours
Robert S Edwards