Camp Near Culpepper. Va.

September 20. 1863.

                                   

Dear Sister,

               I cant date my letters any longer from Warrenton. we have had to give up our good old quarters there and take up with any thing that comes in the way. Skirmishing and reconnoitering in force commenced last Sunday. we could hear the cannonading from morning till night and knew by that that we should be idle a great while longer. Monday early in the morning we went on picket where the signal corps is stationed. as soon as the fog cleared up we learned the particulars of the fight the day before by the means of signals. Tuesday afternoon the whole corps (sixth) got marching orders and left about four oclock. the pickets were drawn in at sundown and at dark we moved off. we had drawn seven days rations of potatoes, beans and other stuff / only the day before and had to leave it. considerable hay, grain, &c was burnt because it could not be carried. that night at nine oclock we reached Sulphur Springs and staid there till morning. at sunrise we were on the march again, and at dark after a darned mean hard march we got here. It was hard because the roads were bad so that we could not get along very well. We crossed the Hazel river about noon and stopped for dinner. there was no bridge across it so we had to wade it. the water was up to a man's crutch and had quite a current. We had a good deal of fun in getting across and I think it would have made you laughed to have seen us crossing A great many men have tender feet and to wade the river (about a hundred yards) full of gravel stones and rocks with a strong current running against them too is a good deal of a job. I saw a good many go down clear out of sight knapsack, gun and all in the water. then what a screaming there would be. My feet were always pretty tough, and I like to wade / the rivers it makes my feet feel so good and nice All the rest of the afternoon we had awful mean marching go along a few rods and stop, then a few rods further, then a mud hole to jump, and that was the way we went all the rest of the way. the place we are "at" now is Stone House Mountain. The next morning we were in line long enough before light but did not move we are expecting to move every minute to beyond Culpepper where the thirty seventh Mass regiment is. I was in hopes we should be clear of this regiment the rest of the time but it seems we are not to be. We are as usual the reserve of the whole army. all the other corps are ahead of us, and this one is strung out in line of battle along the turnpike. I think the rebels are driven to desperation and will run terrible risks this fall to accomplish their objects. I am afraid Burnside and Rosecrans will have to abandon the country they are in or get awfully cut up. I think this fall and early part of winter will see the hardest fighting there has been yet. Your letter came to hand Friday with postage stamps envelopes &c. for which I am much obliged. 

 

What a wonderful family the Billingses must be dont you think so. I got a comic paper the other day too from you how do you ever expect to get your pay for all these things. thanks must be poor pay I think but if they will pass for anything I will send you any quantity

 

It seems you dont believe in Wilsons Bill at all. I dont know as he has any intention of introducing any such bill but this whole brigade are fixing pretty high hopes of going home the first of January. I think differently from you in respect to it. I think it would be an advantage to the government to discharge them. there will certainly three or four months that they will be unable to do anything at all and if they were discharged then by the time the army could move in the spring they would have all their money spent and nothing to do but earn their living by real work. this three fifths of them would not do as long as there was a chance in the army for them with the big bounty offered to veteran troops. I think more than this proportion would reenlist and instead of having only a month or two to serve the government would would have a sure thing on them for three years if not five. The bounty we are entitled to any way, all that have served two years are entitled to it, so you see we are safe on that score I shall not be disappointed at all if we do stay till June. If we get away then as well as I am now I shall be perfectly satisfied.

 

[written through upside down]

 

You must write how Pa is getting along. I am afraid it will be a bad ancle for a long time. the first you wrote about it I did not think it was any thing very bad but it seems to be a pretty bad affair. I should think it would be pretty dry music to sit in the house all the time with it Dont you suppose Old Baby would laugh if she knew she was the cause of it. She has a chance to lie still now I suppose. they will miss his team coming into Milford wont they with wood Does Calvin Barber get butter there yet. we need to sell all the butter at the house, is it so now.

 

I have got in the habit lately of dreaming of being at home almost every night. I dreamed of being in Mendon with you to a performance in which you was one of the actors.

 

Yes I think they had. I want to see how they would look on paper. It is a good while since I heard from Eva My pictures have all kept in good condition. I have a look at them pretty often. You neednt think you can scare me with threats my neck haint held up a load these two years and more for nothing I can tell you and I aint the least mite afraid of being choked. I remember you did give my hair a good tug once when you kept school but I am bigger now and you cant do it.

 

[continued]

 

Was that ere' gal E.N. I rather guess not. I think it must be—Googins. what is her name I cant think for the life of me. but then I do not think she is so good a writer. I am afraid I shall have to give it up. was it Eliza Wilcox, ha, I believe she need to be a good writer

 

Dont you think Eva will be a little homesick at first keeping house I would not live in Mendon for a farm in Douglass woods. I should have thought they would have took a few rooms in the house with the old folks.

 

I came pretty near forgetting to tell you that we had been paid off again, up to the 1^st Sept. now. If I can remember I will put in a ten dollar note for Mr. Cook. what commission do you charge for doing these transactions. Our regiment had a pretty high old time yesterday. most every body drunk, officers too. scarcely anyone in co I. though. a good many non commissioned got reduced to the ranks by order of the Col. he is a temperance man you know Another thing I came very near forgetting I have got another old woman. Lewis and I are together again this I guess is all for this time give my respects to that gal whoever she is. L C Cook.

 

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The envelopes and postage stamps found me out entirely of both

SOURCES