Camp Barnes Halls Hill

Dec 1^st 61

 

Dear Mother.

            Your last also the mittens and blankets were duly rec^d never did anything come more opportunately than the blankets; it was a bitter cold day and we were dreading the night when those arrived; and that night we huddled close together with that spread over us and slept as comfortable as if we were on the softest feathers.

 

            There has been nothing of interest taken place since my last, if the great review may be expe excepted / it was a splendid sight to see over 70,000 men all equipped and marching at the same time each one taking the same step; it would be utterly impossible to describe it You can imagine something of it when you think of some regiments marching twelve miles to their camps after passing in review before the last ones had been reviewed.

 

            I went out on picket a few days since and saw more of the country and inhabitants about here than I have since coming here. You would hardly be willing to believe the wretched condition of the houses, farms and fam / ilies; The houses for a greater part are made of logs the spaces between them filled with mud, sometimes they are boarded on the outside while the interior is finished in the plainest manner; in fact I have seen only two houses that will compare with H. Cuttings it has been perfectly useless for the farmers to plant anything the past season; therefore fields are seen entirely abandoned fences all down occasionally we find a field which has been cultivated but the crops have been left ungathered and everything is run to waste; but when we take a look into the families then we can see / the wretchedness this war is producing in some instances the father is Union but the sons are the opposite and have joined the enemy. I found one instance where the husband was for the South and the wife for the Union; he joined the Army while she refused to leave home as she owned most of the property since she has since been stripped of nearly every penny by the enemy; in another case a Mass. man was obliged to leave with his family taking just what they could carry the Rebels broke open his house and destroyed every thing breaking his furniture and using it for firewood shooting his / cattle for mere sport; this is not an extreme case but may be met with frequently

 

            It is impossible to form any idea where we shall go we have hoped to go south and our Col. expected to go but that chance is lost we may remain here all winter or leave any day

                                                                       

Yours Affcly

Charley.

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