Mrs. Ann Reppert, Mrs. Barclay and Mrs. James Reppert called today. Mrs. Ann Reppert is anxious to secure a cadetship at West Point for her son Charlie. Sarah and Marion went to town and will not be back until Tuesday. We hear often from Rufus. His regiment is in Gen. Rufus King's brigade and now encamped at Meridian Hill near Washington City. The position is an exposed one. May God protect him. After all He it is that shall tread down our enemies.
Lizzie takes care of William tonight. The neighbors kindly offer to watch with him, but we think it best for him to do it ourselves as long as we can. Mr. Graves, R. R. Engineer, offered to come and sit up with him.
Peggy's comments:
Rufus writes in Service with the Sixth Wisconsin:
On the seventh day of August we moved on to Washington. The order came while the regiment was engaged in the evening Dress Parade, and it was received with enthusiasm. Our orders were to move at once, and there was hurrying in hot haste. The Regiment had been armed, while at Patterson Park, with Belgium muskets, a heavy, clumsy gun, of large caliber, and not to be compared with the Springfield rifled musket. We again marched through the streets of Baltimore at night. Our muskets were loaded . . . "at half cock," and we received from all citizens the compliment of respectful silence. We started about midnight, in filthy cattle cars, and reached Washington City at daylight. We marched to the City Hall Park, and, late in the day to Meridian Hill, where we established our camp, a few rods from Columbia College, then being used as a hospital for the wounded from the Bull Run battle. This camp, called Kalorama, was, as indicated by its classic name, indeed beautiful for situation and for its magnificent view of the Capitol and the city. But the three weeks spent there were a great trial. There were in my company twenty-five men sick with the measles, and the other companies were in like manner severely scourged. The weather was intensely hot and the water was not good. Melons were freely sold in camp, and a general run of sickness was the result beyond our measles. On August fifteenth, we had in Company "K" thirty-five reported sick and unfit for duty.
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