Camp Opposite Fredericksburg, Va. Jan 27^th, 1863.

           

Brother and Sister,

                                                Once more I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well as usual and hope these few lines will find you the same. I have been waiting for a letter from you for the last week, but have got tired of waiting and as today was wet and rainy, I thought that I would try and scratch off a few lines for your perusal and inspection. I presume that before this reaches you, you will hear of the removal of Gen Burnside, Gen Hooker is now in command of the Army of the Potomac, and it was also reported here last night that Sumner and Franklin went to Washington under arrest. I dont know how true that is, but about Burnside, that is so, for I saw the order yesterday, where he turned over his command to Major Gen Hooker, and took his leave of the Army. but what it is all about is more than I can tell at present. 

 

I suppose that you have heard all about the late move that was made here last week. I cant tell you much about it for we did not move. we were ready to start at four oclock in the morning, but it had rained all night, and the roads were so bad, that the troops could not move, nor could not move the pontoon trains, nor the artillery. they are now about all back to their old camps again and now the next thing will be a review, about once a week, till the army is all remodeled over again. I think the best thing that can be done now is to put Mcclellan in Commander in Chief of the Army, and let him command it alone, and not have so many of them politicians at Washington bothering him. then I think that the Army of the Potomac will move on towards Richmond again. Sometimes I wish that I was out of the Army, but there is no chance for a man that can do his duty to get out of the Service honorably, and I would not leave any other way.

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