Washington D.C. Monday September 8, 1862

Miss Emma Weston!

It is the first time that I take my writing case in the hand to open it for sending a letter to my home, which I so dear love! Yet my lady it is quite a gratification to me when I open it, it has a feeling to me, as when I was near you. Never could you have make one a better present, to take with me to the war, it is so usefull -- a great remembrance which makes my heart joyfull when I take it in my hand this usefull writing case is presented me from your own hand which I never shall forget. O[h] how good I feel when I take it, to write a letter, my first thought is ??? to you and all the ??? where I have spent happy times. I say again I took this case from your hand which I never shall forget. ---. When I take into my hand for ???, it has the feeling as when I touched your hand.

Now Miss Emma! I will inform you of our journey from Readville to the Capital of Washington! ---. It was last Wednesday September 3th on a beautifull day as we got the order to fall in at one o Clock, to leave for Washington. I soon had my knapsack ready, sat down and looked in the direction of Weymouth once more to wish you all good bye . . . ---- Our horses had at one o Clock arrived from Boston. About 120 which were sent ahead of us on a extra train . . . We left the depo[t] at four o Clock with a cheering hurrah from all the soldiers and citizens who were present. We past near ??? Town. I must mention one place where we stopped at the depo. It was Mansfield, about 40 ladys went around the train to shake hands with us. One lady kissed my hand, and wished me a safe return, if the train had not stated we would have got all the ladys of the town around us. ---

We arrived at Providence Rhode Island 4 o Clock and at 8 pm in the evening we arrived at G???[most likely Groton] opposite New London Connecticut. Then we took the steam boat. It took us till eleven 11 o Clock till we had all the horses and baggage on board. It was a beautiful night so that the Steamer Commonwealth pitched through the waves like a large fish. We had good quarters. We occupied the first floor, had a first rite [right] chance to view us in the great looking ??? in the saloon, also with the ladys & gentlemen of the first rank. I stayed up till one o Clock and took the nice sea-air. Were then I went in to my bed, but I could not sleep for the horses down below, made to much of a noise. I got up again about 4 o Clock in the morning and went on deck to wait for the day light. I was quite surprised about 6 o Clock to see the great Eastern -- before us we past her so near that I could throw a stone at her. -- We arrived at New York at seven o Clock on Thursday morning. -- Remained there to 8 o Clock then over to New Jersey City. Stayed there till one o Clock, took a good dinner at the depo before we started, one o Clock and the train started. We arrived at Burlington N.J. about 4 o Clock. The train past through the city and stopped in the middle of it. I should think that this city is about 2 miles long. We were received here from one and to the other line. The ladys rushed out their horses in one hand the U.S. flag and in the other a present, and such a hurrah of all the folks I never heard especially from the ladys. Sometimes four ladys had hold on each corner corner of a big flag and waved it. In this place we had fruit enough to supply a whole regiment.

We arrived at Philadelphia at seven o Clock in the evening. There we had a good supper in a saloon which is built purpos[e] of the city, for the soldiers which ??? the place . . .--- We started from Philadelphia at two o Clock on Friday morning. Went on the road to Baltimore. At seven o Clock about 18 miles of Baltimore, we crossed the bridge of the Gun Powder River which is about a mile and a half long and about 10 feet over water. As we were half way over the bridge we heard a knock ---- one of our cars where the horses were in broke down and went of[f] the track. Now everybody thought the bridge went down. It was very fearfull to look down, it was only a single track bridge ---- God saved us, the engine did not stop, but put all the steam on she had to spare, which saved us. As soon the broken car went on the land the train stopped and left the behind passenger cars on the bridge. We could see the splinters of the wood of the bridge behind us like in a ship yard. One horse jumped out the cars into the river slightly wounded -- one horse we had to kill for his bones were broke. Three other horses were wounded but not severely. The broken car was thoroughly out, and the train moved on. We arrived at Baltimore at three o Clock in the afternoon. We saw only a few flags. We found it quite still there. We had to wait in the depo till to the other day. A gunner got up that the rebels [at] Yorktown had crossed the river and the railroad in on which we had to go in his possession on Saturday morning. We marched through the city and about 1 went out of it to a depo. We left the depo at 10 o Clock a.m. and found the rail road in our possession clear to Washington, where we arrived at 4 o Clock. We found the whole line from Baltimore to Washington guarded very strong. Every mile is a detachment of soldiers all along. Yesterday Sunday morning we went in camp. We all were very busy with pitching tents and talking, care of our horses. We are quartered in East Capital Hill where General McClellan inspect 40,000 ??? ??? year.

I have no time to write any more this time but ??? more give my love to all. Please tell Allmira that I should write to her to morrow.

Good by my dear lady. Send a letter
your friend a soldier.
Augustus Hesse
9th Mass Battery
Washington D.C