No. 18,

Mrs. C. G. Stanton

 

                                                                                    Near Warrenton Va. Nov 14^th 1862

Dear Wife

            I wrote you last Sunday and should have written ere this but it has been a “dark time in Israel” if they had continued I should never have mentioned them but as “things” begin to brighten I pupose to tell you all about what has transpired during the time since I wrote you last In my last I wrote you (but rather confusedly) about our march to this place The snow that fell Friday had on Monday all disappeared except on the mountain tops of which we have a fine view & the sight is splendid especialy when the sun shines on them Monday afternoon when we were least expecting such a thing (having “fixed up things” supposing we should stop where we were untill our new commander was/ready to move us) we were ordered to pack up & move forward to reinforce a portion of our army which was being driven back a short distance in front of us We moved ahead about a mile where we came up with our Batteries posted ready for battle many of the “boys” supposed an engagement was to take place immediately & some were seen to turn pale but although I was not one of that number I consider such no sign of Cowardice all I think experienced different emotions than what they would when lying in camp. All unusual emotions however soon subsided when we learned that the Rebs were some 10 miles from us & retreating We lay on our arms that night, one of the coldest nights that ever I lay out of doors & the next morning we came back to our old camp/

 

With this day Tuesday commenced the “dark times” we started from Pleasant Valley with ten day’s rations in the teams & our Haversacks There would have been about half enough but fortune favored us we moved through a portion of country where we could forage more than we needed and that to of the best kind but here Bank’s Army was encamped last summer & there is nothing left to forage for some days we had nothing at all to eat one day after fasting all day we drew some shoulders of Bacon fat & greasy with potatoes enough to have one apiece this we had boiled & ate it for our supper about half of the “boys” threw up their Bacon before morning but mine digested well & therefore I “saved my Bacon” John B. B. & myself got through the struggle about as well as any/of them By good calculation we managed to live** Things have changed we now get all we want to eat I have only mentioned these few sufferings to show you that going for a “Sojer” is no boysplay & also to that show that we have proved ourselves equal to the worst emergency I received a good long letter dated Nov 5^th which I will answer at some other time John received about a dozen letters to night his Sister Myra sent her love to me Nell, also, sent a very flattering piece of inteligence about which you are Deeply interested I will tell you about it in my next

 

[Note written on outside fold:            Nell. I would like to employ you to find out the truth of the matter about which you wrote John My best respects

                                                                                                Court]

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