Camp near Falmouth Va Dec 21st 1862

 

Dear Mother.

                        Here I am in the old Regt and O how changed since I left. But I must first tell you how I got here. I took the steamboat "Balloon" at Annapolis on monday morning and arrived at Acquia Creek on Tuesday at about 12 oclock. There we disembarked and footed it up here to camp. We are camped on a side and top of a hill, in a very cold situation, but thanks to a soldiers ingenuity we have quite comfortable little huts covered with shelter tents. The boys all were glad to see me, but said I was a fool for coming back any way before spring. There only 14 men in our company fit for duty. At the battle of Fredricksburg, we had two killed and 9 wounded. Jim Smith was regimental marker and was wounded in arm by a piece of shell not dangerous however. He has gone to Washington. Tell his folks not to feel worried for he is all right and / probably will get discharged if he works right. I tell you it makes ones heart ache to see the regiment on dress parade with only 66 men out. Capt Plimpton is commander of the Regiment as colonel Deveraux has got a sore leg which prevents him from doing duty. At this last Battle we lost 120 men and 9 officers killed and wounded. Our company has got the colors now and so the next fight you may hear of my death for the color company always suffers the most in a Battle. Part of our Regt had to cross the river in pontoon boats to drive the sharpshooters of the enemy picking off the engineers and after they crossed the had fight in the streets and alleys and drive them from one to another and after they drove them out of the town they were allowed 7 hours to pillage it. Some got watches some money some silver plate and any quantity of tobacco. I will send you a little veil that one of the boys got in a house over there. They might have brought away enough to have set up a good store but they did not know / what minute they would have to go into a fight and so did not bring away much. We lost 9 color bearers that day. And our colors were the first that were on the other side of the river.

 

What do the folks think of Burnside now. The boys call Fredricksburg Burnsides Slaughter house. Our losses in killed and wounded were near 17,000 men.

The 33^d Mass. lies near at hand only a mile away. I went over to see george yesterday and he was more surprised to see me than at first. I am looking so well and clean and good clothes on that he hardly new me. He is all whiskered over and has got a face on him as big as a decent man (A. stern) He is down on soldiering and says he will not stop in the army another winter if he has to desert and leave it. I hardly think that Old Burnside will try this place at present if he does you may say good bye to the 19^th But I am about out of news for this time. So good bye from your son

                                                                                   

George H. Patch.

turn over 

 

P.S. Will you send me by mail a pair of mittens with one finger in them of dark colored yarn you cant get any thing for love or money.           

G.H.P.

 

P.S. I cant get the veil in the letter I will send it the best I can

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