Camp at Bowers Hill V^a July 16^th 1863

 

Dear mother and sister

                                    I recd yours of the 28 of June but being on the march was unable to answer it at the time but I am now taking the first posible chance as we are now in camp again and I hope for to stay a spell we left camp at suffolk on the 25 day of June and went to norfolk by rail. there we took the boat and went to white house landing the distance of 100 miles from our former encampment we only staid there one day then we recd orders to march with three days rations in our haversacks we started on the march and were kept going for 7 days on the 4 day of July we went within 10 miles of Richmond that day we marched 24 miles and arrived that night at Hanover junction about 10 O'clock we had no time to get supper that night nor neither did we have any rations to get it with even if we had it we got an order to halt and we sat down on the side of the road to rest but we had not been there long before the rebs commenced their fire works by throwing shells amongst us but we were so tired that we took no notice of them the 118 were ahead of us and it was not long before we heard the musketry begun to rattle away then I fell a sleep as did most of the men in the regt lay right down on the road with their traps all on and the shells tearing the woods all around us but they did not trouble us any there was two men killed in Co A in the 118 and seven wounded that Co is from Glens Falls at two Oclock that night we were woke up and started / to retreat as quick and quiet as we could as we found that there was rebels enough to eat us up so we had to double quick four miles and marched untill noon that day without one mouth full of breakfast making 24m on the 4 and 12mi on the 5 36 in all without any thing to eat in 24 hours the men were so weak and tired that they could hardly walk we then marched back to the white house and harder looking and tired looking men you never saw we arrived there at 2 Oclock in the afternoon and got orders to start again in the morning to march to Fortress Monroe a distance of 75 miles with heavy marching orders that is with knapsacks we marched that distance at the rate of 24 miles per day untill we arived at our new camp yesterday afternoon making in all 20 days of hard marching as ever troops have done in the world now we are in camp again and I hope it is for to stay as the men are all tired and sick but as for myself I am well and stood it first rate I see by your old letter that you are all well I am glad to hear you will find in this letter my picture enclosed Mother spoke of my last letter speaking of you and not of her mother does not understand me I address the letters to you both and I know that no one would have more welcome for and more love for a son than my own mother and I meant it as much for her as for my sister and mother you need never think that what ever happens that you will ever be forgoten by me we are expecting our pay now every day and I hope we will soon have it as we / need it very much as every man in the regement spent all the money he had on the march for some thing to eat and had it not been for some money I borrowed I realy think I would starve as it was the men would go into houses and if they found any meat of any kind they would eat it raw but as for me I could not do so sister I requested you to send me your picture in the last letter but you did not and I told you if you did not I would not answer the letter but as you had a prety good excuse I shall repeat the same this time so now I will draw this a close by remaining yours truly your son and brother

                                                                                                           

James Caton

                       

PS

Direct to me 169. Regt. Co. D. N.Y.S.Vol

Portsmouth V^a Write soon and oblige

 

To Matilda Caton

 

From her Brother James Caton

James Caton

 

of 7^th Army Corps first

Division first Brigade 169 Regt

SOURCES