Head Quarters 1^st Division 11^th A.C.

Brooks Station Feb 7^th 1863

 

              No letter from you yet dear wife. I am beginning to feel that I have a right to complain either of you or of somebody else. It is difficult to understand why letters should be delayed so long when the distance is so short. I most heartily wish the mail agents could be made to suffer some of the anxiety which their carelessness or willful neglect occasions.

 

              I wrote you last night about the changes which were taking place in our commands, and at that time expected before this to have received an order placing me back with the brigade. No order came however last night, and this morning I rode over to Stafford Court House to ask Genl Stahel why in accordance with the order / of Genl Sigel he did not resume command of the 1^st Division. He replied that for the present I must keep the command, as he had some two weeks before received from the President an order placing him in another command, and he was going to see Genl Hooker in regard to the matter and would return by my quarters to inform me of the result. He has not yet arrived, and I do not now expect to see him until morning, as it is now nearly eight oclock and very dark. He doubtless has gone directly to his own quarters. The truth is the President is trying to arrange the command of the 11^th Corps so as to give it to Schurz, promised Stahel the command of a large cavalry force, and this is the order which he has had for two weeks. Now however Genl Hooker in changing the organization of the army has given Sigel the command of his old Corps, the / 11^th, which Schurz was to have, and has also given General Stoneman the command of the cavalry, which Stahel was to have. Schurz will I suppose keep his Division, and Stahel will make the effort to still get a large Cavalry command, instead of taking back his old Division. If he succeeds in this, then my command will remain unchanged, but if not then of course I fall back to the 2^nd Brigade. I enclose you the orders making the change. As yet I have not seen Genl Hooker, but intend calling upon him very soon. Quite a large number of troops have today passed down the railroad on the cars to Aquia Creek landing, and it is said a large number of transports are there waiting to carry them off to some point unknown. All sorts of rumors are of course flying about but all of them apparently without authority. One is that Sigel and all / his corps will go the West. This I think would be most agreeable to the western troops. In truth I think a change of locality would be of great benefit to the troops, if it could be brought about. Success has seemed to attend our forces in the west to a much greater degree than in the east and it would be cheering to our men to feel that a turn in the wheel had come for them. My men are building themselves cabins very rapidly, and you would be surprised to see how comfortable they have continued to make themselves. As yet of course I do not know whether I will have to leave my present quarters. Perhaps tomorrow my orders will arrive. There is no other house into which I can go, and I will have to take to a tent. Well I am ready for anything if it cannot be helped. Love to Ev and family, Tottie, Bessie, and loving good night kisses to darling wife—

                                                                                                                                 

N. C. M^cLean

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