Camp Abercrombie

Oct the 28 1862

 

Dear Mother i now take the pleasure of writing you a few lines hopeing they will find you in as good health as this leaves me in at present i received your kind and and affectionate note and sat down to answer it right away i am in enjoying good health at present and my leg does not trouble at all now i have just returned from picket duty we were out 10 miles from camp and / staid out 60 hours we were on the outposts in that direction and were troubled some by the rebels but the boys were not afraid and we captured 5 rebel spyes and 2 rebel horses we are going out again to morrow we expect if we do i will tell you of our adventures in my next letter and i will give you a sketch of camp life whitch will be interresting I am very glad that you are enjoying yourselfs up there because i am haveing very good times here and i am tough as a brick our nights are very cold down here in dixie land for we are encamped on the sacred soil of virginia there was a short battle about 4 miles / from here we could hear the canon from here we were ordered out in battle array but we were not neded and were very sorry for it for we were very anxious to se a battle i would like to go up there and shake my foot slightly with some of the girls i would not care if it was Mary Tashaway for i feel very happy to night to hear from you all and i wish you would write often and let me know all that transpires up there among you Mc clellan is behind jackson and is driveing him this way and we expect to have a battle here in a few days / i will send my picture up in a few days i would have wrote sooner but i could not as they kept us buisy untill now and i supose we are encamped for the winter we see a few girls that are very good looking

 

Direct your letter to

Washington D C 169 Rgt

Co D Capt Coleman for

me no more at pressent

from your affectionate

Brother            James Caton

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