No. 11—

Hd Qurs 38^th Wis Vol.

In the Trenches before Petersburg Va

Dec 15 1864.

 

Cousin Katie,

                        I received your leter of Dec 5^th some time ago and should have answered it sooner but circumstances would not permit. You know that we are in the front trenches again, and as we have considerable duty to do it occupies our time. That is the reason that I did write before. we were moveing, and I had no chance. you must not worry for me, thinking that I am sick &c. &c. untill you hear from me or some one authorised to write. there are times when I cannot write, and at such times I am excusable. /

 

there is nothing going on here, only the regular routine of camp and picket duty. have been haveing some very cold weather which made us keep in our "holes" about all of the time. Where we are we have to dig into the bank and put our tents over the hole.

 

The Officers of 'E' Co have got a nice Boomproof to live in. we built it of railroad iron and wood, covering over with dirt. It is the warmiest tent or home in the Regiment.

 

            We had quite a scare here the other evening, two Regiments of our Brigade left us to go over to the left and join the expedition that started out for the Southside R.R. which left a very weak line here. the lookouts reported the rebels to be massing / in our front and we expected that before morning they would try and break our lines here. Orders were telegraphed to the left for all of the spare troops to come here by forced marches. all of the reserved Artillery was brot up and placed in position, and every thing in readiness. about midnight troops from the left commenced massing in our rear. Morning came and every thing was quiet, not a gun was fired from the rebel line. Officers at Corps Hd Qurs breathed more freely now and the men who marched all night to come to our relief were slowly moved back again. It had snowed some a day or two before and had melted just enough to make it wet and cold. it must have / been a hard march for them. since then things have gone on as usual. now and then or about every day we lose one or two men on the picket line. Their sharpshooters have got a good range on our line, only the other day they shot an Officer out of the 27 Mich. wounding him so badly that he cannot live. two days afterwards I was on the same post and had charge of our whole line, and had to go the whole length of it three or four times. the fellow shot at me severall times but never hit me although they came prety close.

 

            I have been sitting up this evening waiting for the mail in the mean time writing this letter. as it has arived—and none for me—I think I will stop and—go to sleep. You must not forget that diary for 1865. Get a good one. quite large.—Give my best respects to all who wants to know about this Lt.

 

Send me a price list of those things you have sent me. dont fail to put in a couple dollars worth of stamps into the diary.

                                                           

Yours as Ever Frank Phelps.

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