In Camp near Falmouth Va Nov 29 1862

           

Dear Father

            I received yours and Martha's kind letter dated the 23 last night and was very glad to hear from you I received those pills and lozenges safe and the papers I am in first rate health We came here a week ago last wednesday in a rain storm and we camped two nights about a quarter of a mile from but it was so wet the most of our company went into to the woods and pitched our tents where there was plenty of wood and had some rousing fires but it cleared off pleasant and on monday we we packed up and moved a mile to our present quarters I do not know how long we shall stop here. I wrote Martha a / last saturday the 22^nd I received a letter last friday from you and Martha and those gloves and papers those gloves came just in the right time as it is rather cool here just now. We are encamped about three miles from the Rappahannock our Co went on picket last monday on the bank of the river we were on till tuesday night I liked it pretty well. we were posted about a short distance from the town of Falmouth where we could go and buy soft bread, pies, apples and potatoes. We we were posted right by the bank of the river and the rebel pickets on the opposite side on the bank. The river here is about as wide as the Merrimack the tide come up as far as here. The pickets on both sides are not allowed to fire at each other. At first the / Rebels fired on our pickets but this was put a stop too. We had an excellent chance to see the city of Fredericksburg across the river it is a pretty large place. We could see the rebel pickets collected around the buildings and on the bank of the river. At night the dogs would commence to bark and of all the barking that ever I heard they would keep it up about all night and in the morning the hogs and roosters would commence You of course see by the papers what is going on in this vicinity I would like to have been at home to spend Thanksgiving with you but I had a good thanksgiving dinner I had some good potatoes fried and some first rate beefsteak this with hard tack and applesauce made a good meal we paid for the potatoes 15 cts a doz and for the apples at the rate of 2 for 5 cts and small ones / at that. There is some talk of this Brigade going into winter quarters here but we can not tell. If you think it would be safe you might send that box and I dont know but what it would as it probably be three or four weeks on the way and by that time we shall probably be in winter quarters but do as you think best I have gained fast lately I was pretty slim one spell but I am now feeling firstrate and have a bully appetite I can eat beefsteak and hard tack with the next man We had a mess of stewed beans this morning which were firstrate I have got so I can eat beans pretty well, so look out for them when I get home. I received that letter of Evie's I dont know as I mentioned it my last letter. The railroad is now open from Washington to Frederick-

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