Elev                            

Oct 8 1862

Pleasant Valley My'd Heights M'd

           

Dear Mother

            I received Martha and Charley's kind letter last friday morning at Frederick just as we were about to move and was pleased to hear from home. We are well. I wrote home last thursday I suppose you have got it by this time I also wrote to Uncle Charles last sunday at Sandy Hook. Martha said in her last letter that you did not get any letter the week before I think there must have been one miscarried as I believe I wrote. We stopped at Sandy Hook till monday morning when we packed up and moved about three miles to where we now are. We are on the grounds of Dr Butler an old rebel without much doubt / He has a beautifull farm When Jackson came through here he drove part of his cattle out and had them killed and given to the men refusing any pay we have it from different sources. His own slave says he is a rebel he has a lot of fine horses and hogs and we have to guard his property he also had a fine orchard and his slave says when the Rebels came through they went in and helped themselves but when we come he wants a guard put around The mail came in yesterday Reub got a letter from Charles. There are plenty of grapes butternuts and chestnuts here We have warm dry weather here yet The 6^th 9^th and 10^th NH reg'ts are here near us. There has been a movement of Burnside's army He is moving down over the mountain into this valley It is said he is to make this house of the Doctor his headquarters some of our boys saw him yesterday. The / bridge at Harpers Ferry is almost completed I see nothing of the Battery yet They say it has moved from Sharpsburg I wrote to John while in Camp Chase but have received no answer yet I wish you would send the next letter you get from him to me also send me the Journall. I sent Uncle Charles a seed of the pawpaw apple I will send you a few in a newspaper if I can. The army wagons here are mostly driven by contrabands How are things looking around home is it not pretty dull and lonesome. I suppose Charley is at work in the mill yet I think Father had ought to send him to school this winter. I would like to write to William Harvey if you would send me his address. We do not have quite so heavy a bundle to carry as we did, we left our knapsacks at Camp Chase / I left one pair of socks and two or three other little things in it they said they would be sent on to us but I do not expect to see it again I also left my house wife in Lieut Clark's trunk as so did others supposing that it was coming along with us but the trunk was stored at Washington so you see I am out of the thread letter paper and such things as I had in it

 

The Potomac is very low at present It is a good thing that the Soldiers cannot get liquor as they want it tis very difficult to bring it across long bridge but I do not think of much more to write write often and all the news you can tell Albert he must learn to write and write to me. my love to all of you kiss Eddie for me. tell Sumner to be a good boy give my respects to Uncle Charley's folks and the neighbors.

 

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