Camp Of The Second R.I.V.             

Near Culpepper. Va.  

Sept 27 /63.

                                   

Dear Sister,

                    We still remain in the same vicinity in which my last letter to you was written we were in the woods all huddled together in a heap then, but that night we crossed to the other side of the road in the open field where we pitched our camp with a little more regularity and where we have remained till this time. We get an occasional order to be ready to march which keeps us from stinking

 

Thursday afternoon we had orders to march as soon as we could get ready. all the rest of that day was occupied in packing up the stuff at head quarters and issuing rations and doing other necessary work. the next morning the same work had to be undone / I think we hold a rather ticklish place here and I should not be surprised at any minute to get ready to go back from where we came from and to go farther too perhaps. The place we are in I do not believe is worth occupying any length of time. I think we shall go somewhere else soon The rebels destroyed a railroad bridge somewhere between Warrenton and Fairfax night before last but it was not of much consequence we have provisions and grain enough on hand to last a fortnight or more and let all communications be cut off. The railroad will be in running operations again in a day or two at the most. We get a good deal of forage in the country about here every day also have a little scrimmage too A rebel flag was carried by here yesterday.

 

There is a quite a revival going on here in the regiment at the present time, commenced some time ago. there is meetings nearly every evening and on Sunday, also a Sunday school. a chaplain has been sent / to us from R.I. came this last week. He seems to be about the right sort of a man, mixes in with the boys in their plays just like one of them, and if he will continue only continue so he will be liked. There is one hundred and forty members in the Sunday school, your humble servant one. there is only two commissioned officers that take an active part, one of these just been commissioned, and assigned to company I. John M. Turner. he came out in this company a private and has been in the commissary department all the time the past year as Commissary Sergeant. He is a first rate sort of a man and I am glad he is to be with us. I had a letter from Jo Wood this week not a word about being wounded, or the battle at Salem Heights. I guess he feels a little cheap. It was a bad move for him when he left. he might have been commissioned some time ago if he had staid. But he had got entirely discouraged of ever getting one, so he took the next best step and went to the Hospital. It would not be strange if he / got reduced to the ranks He sent me his photograph I am glad to hear that Pa is getting around again I was afraid it would be a bad ankle for a good while. it may always be weak but I hope not I should like to see some of the apples that dropt off your trees. There is none at all in this part of the world have seen none since leaving Warrenton except some that come from R.I. in a box for one of the boys. There seems no trouble now about getting a box through. If you send the box shirts in that way not send a very large one, send along any old stuff you may have such as pies cakes &c but need not bother about tobacco or whiskey. these two last articles are the most thought of of any thing by the regiment. I have got your mittens yet. they will come in play one of these fine days for the want of an overcoat I use an undercoat. It has been pretty cool here all the week but we can sleep warm Then it was Emma Norcross after all warnt it. Well! I kinder half guessed it didnt I. so if I aint worth two cents for guessing I am one at least. has her fingers got well the ones she blistered Now I want to see how well you can guess, see if you are worth any more than I. I'll bet two cents you cant guess in a month. I shant tell you if you give it up till I see you any way, so dont let your curiosity get the upper hand. I recon there is more to read my letters around home than

 

[written through upside down]

 

there is here to see yours, so you must make an allowance.

 

A requisition has been sent in this morning for fifty overcoats. we may get them in a month perhaps not so soon

 

The eighth R.I. Battery is lying close by us this is one of the two that this regiment supported in the storming of Marye's Heights the third of last May. It suffered severely losing many men and horses while the other and ourselves did not suffer any loss at all. I have another ten dollar note for you to lug over to Cook dont it make your arms ache to do so much. I dont know but that I ought to send some to Mrs. Cook what does she think about the matter. I dont see as I can attend the Agricultural fair this year if you go give my love to the cattle show. It seems Rosecrans has been receiving some pretty hard kicks The rebels are afraid that he won't stay whipped and so are not bragging as much as usual over their victory. I suppose this Army will have to go in once more this fall and get ten or twenty thousand killed and then go into winter quarters. We are bed pretty well yet they keep [?]king the soft bread to us what do you think of baking bread in Alexandria and being delivered to the troops before its cold Yours most Obediently

                                                                                                                       

L. C. Cook.

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