On the opposite side of the

River from Fredricksburg Va. Nov 20

 

My Dear Wife

                        You will probably be supprised to hear off of my being away down here but no more so than I was to come here I supposed we should go straight ahead instead shooting away off here But we started Saturday & reached here yesterday it has rained a good part of the time & we have suffered very much I have been unwell about the whole march but am as gay as a “rag” now The “Rebs” have possession of the other side of the river but we can burn the city very easily & drive every Reb out of it I dont expect to do any fighting untill we get to Richmond It is raining very hard now I used/to think I was close to the rain when I was up in that old East Chamber but I am closer than that to it now and do not get wet Some of the boys slept last night as they always do without making a tent of their blankets and they woke up this morning with about four inches of water under them When it raines out here on the roads where the Army is passing the mud is knee deep not only in spots but every inch of the way Nevertheless Old Burnside says he will have Richmond this time & I think he will ones imagination cannot conceive of what a number of troops there are at this place—

 

Chas Staples is very low I dont think he will stand it long he is here with us I must be brief this time but I promise you a good lon—g letter soon I take the liberty to send this as I did the one before But you need not retaliate by sending yours in John’s Good bye

                                                                                                Court

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