Head-Quarters,                      

Second Reg't Berdan's U. S. Sharpshooters, 

Camp Town of Bristol Va.

March 6^th 1862

           

Dear Mother

                                    Thinking you would like to hear in what parts of the world we are I now sit down after a hard march of 35 miles to write you we left Camp Williams last Friday at 3½ oclock, marched about six miles, and then camped for the night started again Saturday morning at 7 oclock marched 18 miles and camped for the night but instead of putting up our tents we went into houses where the rebels had left them slept good I tell you we started this morning and camped here at 12 oclock this noon. now I have told you where we are I will now tell you what I think of the country. the first place I passed of note is Fairfax Court house you have no doubt heard a great deal about that place. I have and I thought it was a nice place but it is an ofull mean / low dirty place I dont know how it would look to have it inhabited for there is no one there hardley but nigers the windows all stove out and every thing all in ruins. the next place was Winchester Centervill there the rebels were pretty strongley fortified I went on to the battery and examined the guns they left and I found by close examination that they were wooden guns put there to make our troops believe that they were iron the houses were all deserted all along on the road. when we got to manassas I expected to see large [?] but I never saw any thing of the kind there was onley one thing that I saw that looked natural and that was a baggage car belonging to the C.C. & P. R.R. I do not know how it came out here. there are a great many graves here of the rebels with boards at the head to tell who they were and to what Regt they belonged some belonged to Va Regts and some to Miss mostly of Miss. I do not know where or when we are to move but the Col says we shall stay here for the present the fifth Reg^t has gone down the river gone to some southern part on the coast they came near camping here but were ordered down there the three companies of NH [?] and the NH Battery are with us I think our troops will advance on to Richmond soon. all I have to carry is a blanket wollen one rubber and a few little trinkets I dont have to carry a catrage box nor catrages

 

my paper is full so I must close I will write again as soon as I can get a chance the /

 

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male dont come in here more than once a week so you must not expect a great many letters from me write often

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