374 North Capitol Street,
Washington, D. C, Oct. 28, 1863.
Dear Father:—
The great day for me was yesterday. After waiting almost a month the door swung on its hinges to admit Private O. W. N. to the presence of the arbiters of his fate who would transform him to a “straps” or send him back to his regiment to be the butt for the ridicule of his companions.
Well, it is all over with and I breathe freer. My examination occupied forty-five minutes, and in that time I missed only two questions, and those on points which I had stated to the board that I was not prepared to answer. My examination was unusually long. Many have been commissioned on a ten or fifteen minutes’ examination and very few privates or non-commissioned officers stay in over half an hour.
I was the last one examined, and after I left the room to be examined by the surgeon, a sergeant heard the general remark that they had “not had to reject a man to-day.” So I am satisfied that I am all right if the surgeon was satisfied with me. In testing my eyes he sent me to the corner of the room and the clerk covered one of my eyes at a time while the doctor held up something and asked me what it was. I had played sharp on him by taking an inventory of the articles on the table. I could see just enough with one eye to tell a pen from a paper knife, and a pair of scissors from a cork. He discovered that I was a little near-sighted. He asked me if I could march twenty-five miles and not be sick. That was a thrust at my “shanghais,” but I told him with emphasis I could and had, and he seemed satisfied. He wouldn’t look at my captain’s letter, probably thought he didn’t want any assistance in determining my physical ability.
I went down this morning to try to learn the result, but I could not.
