Head Quarters, Co. K.

13^th N.H. Volunteers,

Chaffins Farm V^a.

Dec. 28^th 1864

 

Dear Ari:

                        I will write a few lines to night, as I have nothing to do just now. the news is very cheering to day, that is to us. I think that this Rebellion is going down fast. there were 9 rebbel deserters come in to our lines the other night and thay tell large storrys. thay say that the Johnnys dont know whitch way to turn, if thay send troops away from Richmond to reenforce either one of their Armys then thay are afraid that Grant will have Richmond so there thay are and Sherman is doing just as he has a mind to down South, and Gen. Butler is after them down to Wilmington and thay are afraid of Gen Thomas on / the Danville Rail road. thay are afraid that he will leave old Hood now he has given him such a thrashing and come up and cut the Danville road. if he should do it there would^nt be much fun in and around Richmond. Oh! no. not much, no. the Johnnys massed their troops in front of us to day for what purpose I dont know but we were under arms and maned the breastworks as soon as we saw what was going on. but thay did not attempt to do any-thing. I guess thay thought better of it. if thay had tried us on, it would have been hot work, "I reckon." Oh Ari we have got a new stand of colours with the names of nine Battles on it that we have been in. I will give you the names of them.

 

Fredericksburg Dec 13^th 1862

the Siege of Suffolk May 3^rd 1863

Walthall Road May 7^th 1864

Swift Creek May 9^th & 10^th 1864 /

Kingsland Creek May 12^th & 13^th 1864

Drury^s Bluff May 14^th & 16^th 1864

Cold Harber June 1^st 1864

Battery 5 at Petersburg June 15^th 1864

Battery Harrison Sept 29^th & 30^th 1864

 

            Some of them you will see are two days fights besides Fair oaks whitch was about the worst time that we ever had although we did not loose so many men. and lotts of other times we have been under fire but did not call them a fight. put them all together thay make 22 in all, and your humble servant has been in every one of them and right at the front, too. there aint but a few in the Reg^t that can say that. but perhaps if thay had been doing what thay enlisted to do, thay would have been in them all, unless they were sick or wounded. "say" dont tell any-body if you do thay will think that I am bosting of my bravry in battle / Bravery in battle is what I have not got any more then any man ought to have. oh, Battery 5 at Petersburg is a Fort that we took when we first made the attack on Petersburg, and Battery Harrison is Fort Harrison now called Fort Burnham. we took it when David Lock was killed. well Ari, I guess you will think that there is enough of war in this letter, but I could not think of any-thing else to write and I like to write about what I have been through, but I will stop now. It rains to night Ari like any-thing and it is auful muddy. The mail has just come and no letter for me. it has been some time since I got one from you. well I will go to bed without a letter, so good night. Thursday morning Dec 29^th It is cloudy and cold this morning. it rained most all night and is very muddy. You seem to think that if we should get wounded in battle we should freeze to death before we could be taken of off the field. oh, no Ari the weather is not cold enough to freeze any one to death you must remember that we are haveing summer weather while you are haveing winter / The weather here is about like the weather that you have in Sept and Oct. we have some cold days and some snow but it dont last long. we have a great many cold rains but not freezing weather, and that is not very plesant, is it Ari, "that^s all."

 

            Ask Lottie what she will do when the war breaks the country up and scatters the Negroes all around.

 

            How is that little young rogue of an Elmer. you say that you cant manage him. put him in the Guard house and stuff his belly full of mince pie three times a day and see if that wont do any good. if that dont do let me know and I will try and think of something else, perhaps better. Give my love to him. I guess that will do the most good. My regards to all hands, that is, all that inquire after me but dont say a word. if thay dont ask about me, "oh no," you will see the point. I will allow / I must close this for we are have an inspection. write some-time

 

Good day.       From Stephen B.

                        in the Army of the James.

                        Sergt S. B. Tarlton

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