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York, at least, any day. It is snowing hard again and the men take it rather hard, yet they are more good-natured than one would expect, on the whole.
All my company have bought new blue overcoats in place of. the shoddies — some for cash, some for credit.
On Tuesday the lady friends of the company give us a dinner at City Hall.
Camp Wool, November 12
We have marching orders (which I have seen) to go to Newbern by the return steamers.
Only two regiments are to go, and we shall have a steamer to ourselves, which will be far more comfortable.
They finally sailed on the 10th and will be ready to sail again in ten days or a fortnight from that time.
I suppose you will prefer the Newbern destination. All these plans were changed by General Saxton's proposal that Captain Higginson should take command of a South Carolina regiment of freed slaves.
November 16
. . I found this [Saxton's] letter on my table.
It may change all my plans.
I have telegraphed to Governor Andrew at Washington for leave to go to Beaufort and see General Saxton, there to decide on accepting the post, which is, of course, in itself very attractive.
Nevertheless I have almost decided not to sacrifice a certainty for an uncertainty, and not resign my present post till I am sure of a more important one.
It came very unexpectedly.
Yesterday I came in and 