also Mr Sage intends                                                              

to sue father                                                                            

I would put a

ball through the                                                                      

old fool if                                                                                

I could get                                                                               

home never mind       

 

Maryland Heights

Pleasant Valey

camp near Harpers Ferry

Sunday

Oct 27th 1862

 

Dear Parents

when I do I will do it                  I take a few minutes to write a few lines to you as we are

                                                and have been since yesterday morning under marching orders to go to fight we slept under arms last night expecting to hear the long roll a battle is expected at or near Winchester and orders came at seven oclock AM yesterday we were orderd to take two days rations we took them and have them still in our haversack my rations are ten hard tack the size of soda cracker the others are from ten to twenty but I dont want to burden myself down we are to take our woolen blanket and leave our rubber ones and our knapsacks we leave our knapsacks came from Arlington Heights only two or three days ago we will go to day any how / the Col says so the Quartermaster gave us twenty one more rounds of catriges yesterday and now at my writing this he has ordered the ammunition put in the wagons they have loaded three already it rains a perfect torrent but that wont stop us I suppose the boys are in pretty good spirits James is on camp guard to day in the rain and we are not much better as we have nothing but our two blankets our rubber and wool one Frank Graham is on here came yesterday after his brother you may remember the woman that you see at Mrs Hubard she says he will come back when we do but I guess that he would like to come back if he could how he will succeed I have not heard yet also a Mr Chase teaches in Middletown is here what his business is here I dont know we have verry cold weather here now we had a frost last Friday morning the first of the season 

 

you ought to see the Cavalry and the artilery that passed our camp yesterday going as we thought to make a sunday job of it Winchester is about twenty miles from here on the heights we can see the Rebels in force there I see a rebel flag that was taken by the Cavalry in the last fight at Charlestown Va captured it has seven stars two red and one white stripe we are not afraid of the rebels for we have 60 rounds of cartriges with us the 16^th hadnt but 150 men on dress parade the all the rest are wounded or sick our regiment is not verry sickly as yet but we all have a direah more or less I have a pretty hard one but it dont make me feel sick yet Jerry will write a few lines you will please send it up you will see the papers probaly the boys all send their respects what is the matter am I forgoten I have had no letter for a / week and 7 or 8 are due me dont worry about me I am pounds heavier than when I was in Cromwell Orders came to be ready to fall in in five minutes so you see I must close my Regards to All

                                                                                   

Your Affectionate

Son George

 

all well dont worry

 

we want a brush with the Rebs

 

the portland boys recd three barrels of good things it as if the Cromwell boys had no friends we shall probaly come back here the last of the week our Brigade composes the 123^rd 145^th 137^th New York and 20^th Con Kane commands us we like him first rate he will bet $1000 against $500 that war                                                             

 

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end by first of January 1863 I hope so tell father I hope he has no about his crops I hear Charles Sage is at Cromwell

 

SOURCES