Camp 13^th N.H. Vol^s

Near Chaffins Farm V^a.

Dec. 11^th 1864

 

Dear Ari:

                        As I have nothing to do just at the presant time I will try and write you a few lines. when I shall get them finished I cant tell, for we have been expecting an attack from the rebels all day yesterday and to day. they attacked our right yesterday and threw a few Cohorns into Fort Burnham but hurt no one as I can learn.

 

I dont think thay will try us at this point. God help them if thay do, for thay would get one of the Master whippings that ever thay got, I reckon, the same as we give them when thay charged on us at Fort Burnham. I am not one mite alarmed about it. if thay want to try it, let them come on. 

 

It is evening Ari and all is quiet. I suppose you are at a prayer meetting some whare to night. I would like to be there to. how do you get along Ari. write all about yourself. I want to hear from you every day now, Ari. Oh! I wrote to Hattie some time ago, did she ever get a letter from me. There Ari: it is fall in, and fall in, and I cant write no how. how could you write Ari when you were expecting to hear a ball whistling around you at any moment, but I dont think any such thing, but some of the Officers do so thay keep us on the look out all of the time. we have been in line of Battle four or five times to day and have had our guns stacked in line all day. to morrow morning we have got to get up at 5 oclock and stand in line untill day-light with our guns in our hands, so if John comes we shall be / ready to receive him with a grand salute. but it is no use to talk. thay wont attack us here as long as we have got such a force here as we have now. the Johnnys and our fellows are up to some-thing over the other side of the river, south of Petersburg, you will hear from them pretty soon, I reckon. keep up good courage Ari for every-thing works well so far. do the folks at home know or care any-thing about what we are doing for them. some of the boys that have been home on a furlough say that the folks laugh at them because thay are out here and tell them that thay were fools for ever going out there. perhaps thay are, but I cant see it in that light. I can say one thing and that is this, I am not sorry that I come out here if I get out of the Army all safe. I can say one thing that I done my share towards putting down this rebellion if it is ever put down and I think it will be. 

 

The weather here is snowey and rainy muddy sloppy and cold, aint that enough Ari. but I am comfortable, a good house and stove and a good fire in the stove, and enough to eat such as it is, "hard tack". Now Ari, I have only wrote this mess of stuff just to let you know that I am well, and you say that you like to get a letter once and a while. I want to get a letter from you, then I shall know what to write and how to write. Tell Elmer that I will send him our Corps badge when I find out what it is.

 

Give my love to him, my regards to all the rest of the folks. two years ago to day was the Bumbardment of Fredericksburg, do you remember it. Ah I do. well I must close. dont worry about me because I have told you that we expect a fight some time, for it is what we have been at all summer, only I never told you before hand

                                                                                               

Good night,

From your affection Husband in the Army of the James,

Serg^t S. B. Tarlton

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