Head Quarters 3^rd Brigade

                                                                                                            March 29^th/63

 

            Dear friend

                                                it is know eight oclock in the evening and I will try and answer your kind letter that came to hand abut about five oclock this afternoon I sinserely hope it will find you as well as it leaves me at present I am detatched at brigade Head qurs I am filling a mans place while he is home on a furlow and they talk very strong of me ceeping the place when he returns for I seam to get along with the men better than he dose) it has rained all day to day it is very muddy the regiment went out on picket yesterday they are having a very bad time of it it is the first/the regt has been on duty in eight months but what I have been with them their was an order came down from corps head quarters this after noon for all extra baggage to be sent to the rear tomorrow and what they dident send was to be burnt up the report is the rebles is avaccuating frederickburg and it must be true or they would not order eny thing to be burnt up and we are going to moove before many days the order is to be ready to moove at an hour notice there is a hard sumers campain to go through with this sumer for the poor weary soldiers they have got to stand the heavy blunt there is some talk of us going to K.Y. I dont know how true it is the rebles is consentrating their/forces in kentuckey and if they do it we have got to go to and give them battle their the general talk is here that the war will be carried further south there is quite a number of our army gone south all ready and I supose it will be our turn to go next the ninth enemy corps went a month a go to new port news and I have under stood they have gone to K.Y. as it is getting pretty late and I have to be up pretty earley in the morning I will have to Close for to night good night

 

Good Morning

my letter I will try to finish it is a very windy morning and it will soon dry the roads up so we can travle we have got to go sometime and I would just/as leaf go to morrow as any time we drew a lot of pack mules from the goverment last night to carry baggage We are going to use more mules to carry baggage more than we have done they have not come around to inspect our baggage yet this morning but they will some time to day I wish you could be here and see the camp the woods has all been chopped down this winter for wood to burn and you can see a good wase you can see nothing but camps as far as you can see there is not much more news to write so I will have to Close this letter write as soon as you get this By

                        and remember this

                                    is from your friend John

                                                Good By          evry time

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