Camp Humphreys

near Falmouth Va

April 17^th/63

 

Dear Sister

                        To day I sent you $35 by Adams Express, and thought I would write to you so that you might go and get it at the express office at Lewisburg; John Glover also sent some to RV Glover perhaps you can get him to lift it for you if you have not a chance to go to Lewisburg.

 

On the 14^th we drew eight days rations, & twenty rounds of extra / cartridges with the intention of moving next day, but could not in consequence of a heavy rain which set in on the night of the 14^th, & continued until the night following. We still draw daily rations so as to keep the 8 days on hand. I do not know how soon we will move now

 

The men had a chance to send such clothing as they wished home I sent an overcoat & oil cloth blanket; George Reed, Sterger Charles & I sent them in a box directed to James Reed, wether it will come to hand or / not I do not know, if it does well & good, if not then will not be much loss. Our ironclads made an attack on Charleston but were repulsed with considerable damage. It is supposed that if Sumter had not fired a shot our fleet would not have been able to pass the channel—so strong are the fortifications. The rebels hold three very strong positions viz Vicksburg, Charleston, & Fredericksburg. The 1^st is so situated with fortifications on a bluff that a land force cannot well operate, & unless the iron-clads do good execution, its / capture will be of some doubt; As to the 2^nd we know it is well fortified; the last (Fredericksburg) is as good a position as the rebels can get between it & Richmond, I think the enemy never had a better position to resist a land force than Fredericksburg, though it is well fortified in front we need not make the attack there but go around, & if even we do not make the attack at all, we are doing good service for while we are lying here doing nothing, the enemy must also have a force nearly equal to ours there doing the same thing & we all know that our force in the field is much larger than theirs, so that the rest of our army will have so many the less to contend with at other points

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