64 HENRY HILL GOODELL 



a nice one from old Stebs the other day. ... I have re- 

 ceived five or six Springfields ["Republican"] lately from 

 Charlie. Tell him I will try and write him soon. I am so 

 glad Mase [M. W. Tyler] and Rufe [R. P. Lincoln] came 

 out of their baptism of fire and blood safely. God preserve 

 them to the end ! My kindest remembrances to Professor 

 and Mrs. Tyler when you see them. I see by the papers 

 that the Faculty are up and preparing for themselves man- 

 sions in Amherst. What demon of extravagance has seized 

 them in these war times? — Confound these flies! I can't 

 write any more. They are the greatest pests going. There 

 is no putting off their importunity. 



With ever so much love, in bonds of antiquity and '62, 



Daddy, H. H. Goodell. 



The newspaper reporters soon got hold of the list of 

 volunteers and of course it was given to the winds. On the 

 26th of June he wrote the following letter to his brother-in- 

 law, Mr. James Bird of Hartford : — 



"For fear Abbie and Eliza should see in the papers my 

 name among the list of those who have volunteered to 

 storm the works of Port Hudson, I will write to you of it 

 myself. I did not intend you should any of you know any- 

 thing about it till it was all over, but some confounded news- 

 paper correspondent has got hold of the list. If it is a pos- 

 sible thing, keep the list out of Eliza and Abbie's hands. 

 It will only cause them unavailing anxiety. I have volun- 

 teered, and also, because there was a lack of officers, to lead. 

 I assure you no other considerations would have induced 

 me to put my name down. I trust it was nothing but a 

 clear case of duty that impelled me to take this step. The 



