Warrenton Va.           

Aug 16 1863.

                                   

Dear Sister.

                                                Sunday has come again and I suppose you will be expecting a word or two from me in the course of a few days written today Four letters came safe through last Wednesday night. you may know that to be true if you can recollect ever seeing this sheet of paper before. I wish I could do as you did with your poor pen and I suppose I might but then I wouldnt get a better. So I am obliged to keep hold of this. This ink writes all sorts of colors from pea green to the color of brick

 

I have been off duty all this week on account of my foot. the co was on patrol Monday, and yesterday morning they went out on three days picket / I suppose I might have gone too had I been a mind to thought so, but didnt and so did not go. my foot is now about well and I shall not get off any more duty on account of it. I have thought a great many times lately of your Sapsy tree but am afraid I shall have to wait another year before I can get much benefit from it

 

            Elton Doty was in here to see me last night. his regiment is only about half a mile from here now. he is looking well and tough. I had not seen him before in about a year and a half. He staid till sundown and went back to his camp. He saw Alonzo Velson a few days ago he had just been paid off one hundred dollars. he saw Tom Satchell about the first of Aug After Elton went away Lyman Wilcox came in and staid till about ten oclock, he seems to be a pretty good sort of a fellow. He said a party from his co went to the / battle field of Middleburg day before yesterday to see if they could recover the bodies of a lieut. they had killed, and Sam Wilcox's They found the place where they were buried, but the bodies were in such a state as to be impossible to be removed, so they were left and the party returned without them.

 

We are beginning to talk about marching again. we have orders to keep three days cooked rations in our haversacks at all times, that is coffee, sugar, raw pork, and hard bread. should you call that cooked rations? The guerillas took our signal station on the hill here a few nights ago. It did not amount to much any way as nearly all the men managed to escape after being captured. Wheatons brigade were started out after them in the morning and took a few of them the others I suppose had got to their homes and were nothing but farmers when our men came along. 

 

I wish you would come along with your fan and keep these plaguy flies away while I am writing. they are as thick as you ever saw them at home. they are as limber as an eel and skip about as though they liked hot weather. Had I told you that Lieut Bates was dead, he died in Washington of wound received in battle of Salem heights he was a good officer.

 

It seemed rather lonesome at first when I was alone but I like it best now. My woman's name was Loomis, Lewis, Tayer, and I dissolved when we left the Rappahannock all on good terms however Lewis is in here more of the time than he is in his own house

 

It seems to me Marshall is fairly persecuted. I should think he would run away. then you think Mary may have serious intentions of doing a little mischief do you. I could tell you some thing that would make you laugh but I guess I wont now. You will have to put some of your folks in the pound wont you. It is beginning to smell hot in the tent here so I shall have to stop. I am going to the cavalry

 

[upside down written through]

 

after I get shaved up. Got any word to send.

 

You may send me a few envelopes in your next if you please. I do not think of any more at present only that our sutler was captured by the guerillas two weeks ago with two loads of stuff and ten horses the whole valued at $6,000                      

L C Cook.

SOURCES