Camp near Culpepper Va Nov 18^th 1863

 

Dear Sarah

                        I seat my self to write to you all tho I have not hurd a word from you in one weak but I hope I will get one when the mail comes in to night. I am well as useual and may this find you and bubby the same. we ar having vary nice wether since the rain last Sunday you had ought to of seen us the night it rained. just be fore dark it looked like rain and so we dug trenches arround our tents and then it began to rain, and it was dark as pich. after it had rained half an hour we had to dig out of our tents for every thing a float and such a hallowing you never hurd, and so Charly and me dug for the hill, piched our/ our tent in as dry a place as we could find. we cut some Sedre bows (it looks like hemlock) and made us a fether bed of them and then we spred our blankets on and went to bed. then we talked about home and the good times we use to have there, and the Biscuit and Butter, Pie and Cake Bred and Milk and in numerable other things, and fine ally went to sleep, to dream about home and kind friends loved ones and old times in general. last night I dremp I was at home with you and Bubby, but this morning I woke up and found my self 6 hundred miles from there, was not that a shame. we ar having vary quiet times here now but how long it will remain so we can not tell. I hurd this morning that the Cavalry was going back/ a few miles and the Infantry was coming to the front. I hope so at least for we have pretty hard work all Sumar doing all the Picketing. but I can not think of much to write now so I will wate and see what the mail feches in for me so good by for now

 

Nov 20^th I did not get a letter from you last night as I expected but to night it came I was glad to know that you ar well I wish I could have been there to help you and Thomas and Amy eat mush and milk, and visit with my friends in Almond but as I can not we must let it go and hope for the better. Laroy Witter went this morning and got his Canteen full of milk. he let me have a quort of it and if I did not have a good time/ eating it then I am mistaken I get milk every once in a while. we have not had any soft Bread nor Potatoes in two more months. but we have Army Bread or hard tacks as we call them we have enough to eat. it is vary plain living it is true but the time is coming I hope when we will have such things to eat as we use to. but I will end for this time. I have not time to ans Amys letter this time but I will next time. give my love to them and all the rest. ans soon tell me all the nuse you can think of, what is Eggs and Butter feching now, do you have much Butter or Eggs. but I will end so good by for this time. this is from your ever true Husband to his Sarah.

 

Sarah & Luie                                                               Albert R Whitney

 

[top margin]  Direct yours after this to the 1^st NY Dragoons

                                                                                    Albert

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