Camp near Falmouth Va

November 30 1862

 

Gentlemen.

            We have been here for a week or more. What I have to write is for the purpose of convincing you that unless [remainder of sentence stricken].

 

            From my own observation mostly with confirmation from conversation with officers of the high rank and with Staff officers of the highest generals I am convinced

 

            1^st That it is General Hallecks plan to push this army overland to Richmond.

 

            2^nd That this army will be most shockingly defeated if it is tried.

 

            We have had but little rain but with that little our Corps moved only at the rate of 4 miles per day from Warrenton to this camp. One wagon or piece of artillery mired would stop the march at times for hours. Then when the wagon train came to a descent / or stub ascent the whole train was obliged to halt until each by itself had clambered down or up; and thus, without any accident, the troops (who must keep with the trains) are obliged to halt until the train is "gathered up" & ready to move again all together.

 

            Here we have been obliged to rely upon wagons almost solely for supplies, which were to be hauled 6 to 8 miles to camp and such has been the state of the roads that my own regiment was 48 hours with only 5/8 of a pound of hard bread to each man! and as the food must first be hauled—such has been the want of clothing that I have men almost naked for want of it & even with the railroad in operation for two days it cannot yet be procured.

 

            We are 60 odd miles from Richmond direct. The enemy have railroad communication delivered them and retreating with comparative ease can leave to us only miry roads and rough fields for / use as we pursue. Every mile of the way can be contested and the loss of a wagon train will be starvation to us. How can we guard our communication for seventy miles in a hostile country against Cavalry attacks such as M^cClellan could not prevent for his 20 miles of wagon roads last summer?

 

            The rebels will fall back fighting after contesting first seriously the passage of the Rappahannock. Every day our ranks will be thinned by bullets, sickness & straggling & by detachments to guard communications. Every day our advance will be more difficult by roads worse than we have yet encountered. every day their supply will be more easy as they fall back upon their base and their numbers will be increased or kept good by the gathering up of the forces in their rear.            Not only officers but men are fully possessed with the expectation of great suffering followed by / disastrous defeat. We are not down hearted—at least the men are not—Soldiers take things pretty much as they come—but there is no enthusiasm, no confidence and no great amount of interest in the result. Whoever says otherwise lies. Confidence departed with M^cClellan. Enthusiasm or patriotism I have never seen in a regiment which had been six weeks in the field.

 

            Sickness & suffering will reduce this army between here and Richmond one half. Each regiment is allowed four wagons one for the Hospital, one for Head Quarters, one for line officers and one for everything else axes & tools cooking utensils & ammunition or arms.

 

The only shelter is of cotton drilling composed of two pieces each about six feet by five, each man carries one & the two drawn over a ridge rail make a shelter tent for two men, open at both ends. A third is sometimes used to close one end & then three must sleep under it. One blanket to each man is the allowance. Do you think men can encamp thus in rain, snow, mud or ice in winter weather and not die rapidly—Forty men out of my 600 have fallen sick the past week & there is no place for them but under canvas.

 

The public honor demands a Winter Campaign            

 

Yours,

Fran^s J Parker

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