(To Rebecca Jane Spratley)

 

Hd Qrs. Lees Cavalry Brigade

Occupacia V^a Jany 27^th 1863

 

Dear Piggie

                        This is the first time in a month I have been able to get paper enough to write a letter on; so you may account for my long silence. we are now on the Rappahannock about 40 miles from Fredericksburg. our duty now is verry light we dont have to go on picket but one week in a month the balance of the time we spend in camp and drill when the weather is open. We expect to moove again some time this week to a small village in King & Queen County called Stevensville. You will remember that is the county our Brother Caiborne Crittenden lives in if he lives any where near our camp I am going to pay him a visit. all of our Company are enjoying most excellent health at this time but I am afraid I shall not be able to say so long as the Small Pox is in our Brigade and in fact we have had some few cases in our Regt. we have not had a case in our company yet but I am afraid we will get it all of us have been vaccinated and every precaution taken to keep it from spreading but time alone can tell what will be the result. We have been expecting the enemy to make another attempt to cross the Rappahannock for some time but he seems to be afraid to undertake the job. we can hear from them every day through our spys. they started week before last to cross but Old Burnside concluded he was not exactly ready and countermanded the order. he is now passing off his time in sending out partys to liberate the slaves and taking the farmers horses, / a great many of the farmers have mooved their negros and horses across the river but they say they dont expect to have a house to put their heads in when the enemy leaves as they are sure they will burn every thing they can when they find out they have left. we have chances to buy most anything we want where we are now from blockaders though we have to pay verry dear for what we get we have had one auction but things sold higher at auction than what they could have been bought privately so we have concluded not to get another blockader to auction off his goods and pay him what he asks if he has anything we want. Brother and the boys sends their love to you all. I will write you again soon but I have no news at all to write you now so I will close by asking you to write soon to your

Affectionate Brother

 

Give my love to all                                                    

 

Junius N. Spratley

 

P.S. Tom Wrenn is verry much upset about putting in a substitute our Col will not allow any substitutes now and you can see more long faces than few who expected to be at home long before this time. some has gone so far as to employ substitutes and bring them here but the Col sent them back

                                                                                   

Write soon to your Brother

Jn^s N Spratley

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