Camp Near Fredericksburg Va

                                                                                    J [?] 1863

                       

                                                Friend Agnes

                        with a willing yet [?] heart I am seated to answer your kind and welcome letter which I received on the 9^th inst its tidings were such as to make me feel sorry and heavy hearted and with you and your dear mother and and now only brother I join with a sympathising heart in mourning the loss of one whom I loved as a brother. Agnes this is the hardest task that I have undertaken for several years to answer your kind letter but your requests shall be answered now do not think me hard hearted for I am going to speak my mind you yet have a brother whom you can love on him let the tenderest cares of your heart rest and as he is yet young try to teach him to love you as an only sister and also let your influence tend to lead him in the paths of peace and happiness. and as for me I can love you with a brothers love for remembering your oft repeated kindnesses and the many happy hours that I enjoyed/while staying in your pleasant town. it is to you that I am indebted for those happy hours. tell your kind mother that she is held in memory dear to me like wise your young brother tell your Aunt Charlott I still remember the lively expressions of her countenance and yet hope to meet you all. Agnes I hope your requests may be answered and that you may so live in this world that you may meet him that is gone now I love the ways of a christian love to meet in their society to talk with them. but you know I like many others have wandered two and frow and up to the present time have turned a deaf ear to the sounds of the gosple and I now often think of my past life but seems to me like a dream and not reality but as I now look around me and inquire after those with whom I have associated and very many to that was my former schoolmates I miss them now and the question arises where are they Oh! how sad I feel when I remember they have been slain on the battle field no less than ten or twelve of my schoolmates fell under the same banner that was born by him whom you now mourn the loss. you wanted to know as to the safty of my two brothers they are yet well but many fell near one of them the day of the last great slaughter he was with/in thirty feet of the enemies batteries for nearly four hours from three in the afternoon until dark when they fell back under the cover of the darkness of night he said he was glad when night came on for he was nearly done out with fatigue but he like many others fronted evry danger. but Agnes he is truly a good man and a cristian. the other brother does not seem to know what fear is he is brave and has withstood the enemies charges time and again has seen those of his associates fall near him yet he seems to be willing to charge the enemy at any hour. but I am very glad that he is now situated so he is mostly free from danger he is a wagonmaster and is not exposed to the enemies bullets during the last battle he was in charge of an amunition train but was relieved by request of general Rand when he was (the general was) wounded and brought him of the field I was glad of it. well Agnes I have not much more to write we have moved our camp and are now very comfortably situated in a nice grove of pines and have put up log cabbins which is very warm. we have a nice little fire place in ours the term ours means three of us and we have five blankets so we sleep warm but how long we shall/stay here to enjoy it I cannot tell there is some talk of us having to lay another bridge I tell you I dread it for we have to face the enemy with out arms and are left to their mercy which is no mercy at all but I hope we will never have to fight another battle. well Sister agnes if you permit me to call you so I will have to close tell Maggie she is kindly remembered by her friend Frank my love to others of any acquaintences there are some friends of my tent mates here from york state to stay all night and as there is a gooddeal of talk I will close by sending you a brothers love and communicate the love of an affectionate and sympathizing Friend to your mother my love to Aunt Charlott and to your brother Dan

 

I have not yet received your kind gift which I will prize very highly I think they have been misscarried but I prize them for the givers sake I am well as usual hoping you all enjoy the same great blessings

                                                            From your true friend

                                                            Sergt F C Miller to Agnes F Voris

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