June 12th (July 12th 1875)

Dear me I never noticed until just now that I have dated this page one month ahead of time. However it does not matter a great deal at present. This morning we are to play our Return match with Subconstables. Our match began at 10 o’clock and we finished our Innings apiece by dinner time. We were ahead by 21 runs, making 42 to their 20. The second Innings they made 50, one man Uniacke [?] scoring 25. We then took the bat and all our wickets went down for 10. Thus we were defeated. I lay the cause of our defeat down to you. Yes, you need not exclaim and cry out “Me”. I mean you El.th Et.Bt. [?]. But possibly an explanation may be owing to you. In our second Innings while we were fielding a cavalcade was seen approaching over the hill. Of course we all became excited and spyglasses were brought into requisition by the spectators and they kept on calling out what they saw and of course we fielded badly and allowed them to make runs. Just as the match was finished Conrad drove up just from Benton and bringing a mail – and as I had a couple of letters from you I therefore lay the blame upon you. Yes letters have come again. I got two from you of the date May 3 and 10th. I also got one from Father dated May 20th telling of Saida’s safe arrival In Savannah. Also one from Aunt Ellen from Athens dated [?]. And one from Loulie from Burlington of May 15th and one from Harry Stotesbury [?] of May 10th. Also one or two papers for which please return my sincere thanks to Jack for the chess. O your dear letters – how I do love to receive them, so trustful, so loving, rambling, mixed up and badly written. But never mind. I won’t take this occasion for criticizing them or anything else. I spent the afternoon reading them and tomorrow will read them over again – and now Good night my darling and God’s blessing be upon you. Good night again.

May 3rd

Today has been very windy as was yesterday. I was engaged the greater part of the morning making out the average temperature for April, which I find to be + 43.09 degrees with a maximum + 78 degrees and minimum – 2 degrees. We have a hot bed started and some suds just coming up. In the afternoon I busied myself making frames and pasting paper over them which is to be oiled and serve as glass for a covering to let in the light excluding the cold and rain. After that I had a game of cricket, with stumps made of an old lodge pole, and india rubber ball covered with leather and a very primitive bat cut out of a piece of hard wood. If the cricket was not first class, the exercise was good.

After that I came in and read my anatomy and was reading away most diligently when the MAIL arrived. Martin from Fort Kipp brought it up. John Glen brought it to Whoop Up last night. I got one letter from you, some Globes Mails Nations & various papers from home – also a letter from Aunt Ellie from Savannah and a letter from Mannie. I will tell you about them tomorrow. I am too glad to have heard from you again. I don’t recollect the date of your letter and have only a confused joyous idea and feeling of satisfaction that you are well and are mine. I must say good night. I want to read your letter again before going to bed. Good night my darling.

Dec. 24th.

I have been so busy lately that I have not been able to talk with you for a long time. On Tuesday I went down again to Kanonsis and also came back. In the evening we had a Mess meeting for the purpose of organizing the officers mess. A committee was appointed consisting of Capts Winder & Crozier & myself. Winder was President and I am Secretary – we pledged ourselves to have dinner in the Mess Room tomorrow (i.e. the 25th) at 6 P.M. To do this it was necessary to work like slaves the next morning. Our Room had to be lined & cleaned – the stove had to be put up, the kitchen utensils, the table service & the rations from the various troops & many other little things. Then too in the morning I was engaged in moving all my goods and chattels from Winder’s to another troop officers quarters. Then in the afternoon I had to go down to Kanonsis & then dinner & immediately after dinner I had to go down again to Kanonsis & did not get back until 11 o’clock. And now this morning I hear that a mail is going to Benton and it closes at 12 and I have been so busy in the Hospital in the morning that it is eleven o’clock before I have a chance to sit down and finish my letter. So you must excuse all inaccuracies and illegible parts and if you can’t make out al I mean to say, you must imagine what I am trying to say. I am writing on the Mess table now – and a great deal of talk and laughter is going on around me. I received a letter from Mother dated the 22nd Nov. from Savannah. I have been much more fortunate than the other members of the force in regards to letters. To day there is going to be a great Pow-wow. All the Indian chiefs from far and near have been invited to come and yesterday & this morning – the place has been alive with Indians in gay & festive attire – all painted and stained & dressed in brilliant blankets and feathers & porcupine quills & skins. They are to have a big feed & the power of our guns & mortars are to be demonstrated to them. Time is up and I must close. Give my love to all, and remember me most kindly to the Cameron’s. Tell Jack I will write to him as soon as possible.

Your own
Barrie

Fort MacLeod [ctd]

Nov. 19th. It is now a week since I last wrote to you. The teams I told you of as being expected in with letters came & brought me a letter and a great disappointment. I got a letter from Father in answer to one I wrote him from Ft. Benton – this was dated from Savannah Oct. 7th. It took just 13 days for my letter to reach him from Benton. I expected one from you but I was disappointed there, however better luck next time. There are other teams some at Fort Hamilton – may be in any day – they also may have leters. The second are Conrads & are stuck in the snow which is over three feet deep – they have sent out about 60 oxen more to bring them along. They have no letters but a good deal of stuff for us & in such we stand in a great deal of need. Since I was last writing we have has some very cold weather the thermometer being down 26º & 28º below zero. The average temperature fr the past week has been only 2º.