White House Point

March the 10^th 1862

                                   

Dear Cousin

Yours of twenty seventh inst. came to hand in due time but as I had not time to answer it I will now try and do so your kind letter I received about twenty mile from camp and this letter I rite to you is in the same place that I received yours. Dear Cousin the other day I belive that it was last Tuesday morning our regt was out on picket and there was a party of scouts went out concisting of fifty men and was attacked by a party rebels that was hid in ambush our party concisting of two Captains and quarter master and also Lieutenant Colonel / and they fired on us and killing one of our best Captains the quarter master one private and shot one of the other mens arm off but revenge will be paid on there damd sculls before three weeks I will bet a cow on it and 3 cent pony on it we are now cituated on on a place that is called white house point it is about 13 mile from our nearest place to get any thing to eat and more than that it is not more than one half of a mile from the rebels scouting place and about one mile from there batterys they do not seem to disturb us much for our gun boats is stady on the river and if they fire on us the gun boats will play on them and give sweet hell at the word go and therefore they must keep still

 

yesterday we went out scouting and captured 5 boats and a lot of hay / and straw and a lot of cooking utinciels lanterns &c

 

            on the 7 of this month twenty of us went down in a small sloop and guarded a damed old Seacesh all day and night and got damn near froze in the bargin and then they sent me down and two more of the men to guard the boats we had a small house to stay in and it was better than laying out in the cold air. there was an old darkey that in the morning we went an got a good cup of warm coffee that helped us considerable and a corn doger we bought from the woman for 10 cents I tell you that it went good for dam the crackers we had in our haversacks any more and that is all we got untill we got in to the white house and worked hard all day for my part I was gust as wet as if / some one had taken and throwed me in the fair waters of the Potomac and as cold as I could be now I will stop about it

 

            You was saying that Simon vinegar had taken a pair of mittens from old adam that is just what I thought for when I was loading there it was but Simon hear and Simon there and every other place it just served the old man right that if had run away yet with the house for he runaway with the mittens and the washing bill but when I left him I was charged ten cents a piece for washing and besides there was two dollars and 25 cents comeing to me yet and charged me 75 cents for two meals and stayed all night at uncle henerys got supper there and breackfeast and onely eat one meal with him

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