November 26th, 1864.
Thanksgiving Day came bright and beautiful, as though Nature smiled approval, and accepted the thank offering which kind friends, with a degree of liberality never equaled, have sent to cheer the hearts and make glad the stomachs of their “brave defenders.” I am sorry to be compelled to say the kind intentions of our friends were, in a measure, thwarted by circumstances beyond their control. The transports that brought them to City Point were delayed by a storm and did not arrive until Friday evening. Then the work of unloading and distributing to the different corps occupied all the time until Thanksgiving morning. The first installment, designed for the Ninth Corps, did not reach this station until noon of that day. The afternoon was consumed in issuing to divisions, and from them to regiments. We must wait until morning for our dinner.
Doubtless all have seen, in newspapers, an estimate of articles sent to this army. From it, and the time consumed in distribution, some idea can be formed of the amount of food consumed by an army in one day, and the necessity of keeping its line of supplies in working order.
November 26th, 1864.
A dinner of roast turkey in the army! I am inclined to think it unparalleled in the annals of warfare. There were liquors of almost every brand; turkeys both roast and raw; chickens with rich dressings; pies, cakes, fruits and sweetmeats—enough, as intended, for every soldier in the army.
Now for the result.
We drew, for thirty-three men in Company G, twenty pounds roast turkey; thirty green apples; four pounds potatoes; seven cookies; three doughnuts; seven papers line cut tobacco; three papers smoking. The regiment drew in proportion.
We will not measure our thanks to the generous donors by what we received. The effort on their part is appreciated by us, and will be cherished as an expression of sympathy and good will.
