March 9^th 1864

                                                                                   Camp near Ceder Mountain

 

Dear Sarah

                        I take my pen in hand once more to write to my loved famelly at home. no doubt you ar worrying about me by this time, but when I tell the reason why I have not wrote to my Sarah before you can not blaim me in the least. about eleven dayes a go our brigade and two other went on a scout about 50 miles from our camp in to the Enemies land to see what they wer about and allso see if posable if there wer much force there or not. after they returned/ after scoutting arround for five dayes, but did not find many Rebs. they took three or four hundred horses, and lots of Negros came in to our lines with them. the Darkeys sayed it was the first Yankeys they ever saw the Boys sayed that they wer delighted at the sight of our men and begged the privallage of freeing them selves from the bonds of Slavery. how many came in I do not know. we burned four or five Grist Mills with four hundred barrels of flour in them 2 or 3 saw mills, barns and several Store. the Stores one of them was filled with flour four thousand Bags to put Oats in or any kind of grain which the Confederate Inhabitance/ might give for the support of the Rebel Army the other Stores wer filled with Whisky Eggs and dry goods. lots of the Boys filled theyr Canteens with Whiskey and a Jollyer set you never see. some of them got drunk and wold not come on the night the rest did. the Boys sayed that every man they met whether horse back or driving allong with a wagon, or in the field a plowing they would stop them cut the harnes off and take the horse allong and leave the old man sitting on his plow, and cut the waggon to pecies and destroy the contence of the waggon. is not that hard dear Sarah but we have to do just what/ we ar orderd to do, no matter what it is

 

the same night the Scout went out what was left in Camp except enough to guard our Camp had to go out to double our Picket lines, for our Division had gone out accrost the Rapidan to Orange C. Hous and Kilpatrick went at the same time on a raid with 5200 picked me towards Richmond (I will send you the paper which has the account of his expedition in, which will tell you all about it better tan I can) the next night I came in to Camp for the mail, and to my joy found a kind letter from you, which told me about that you had got my box ready and was going to send it the next day/ and just six dayes from that time I was relieved from picket and when I came in Camp I found the box in my tent. it found me well and anxcious to eat some goodies from home it came all right and safe except the honey. the glass was broken and a part of it had run out, but Sarah I can not feal grateful enough to you for being so kind and willing to send me a fiew things from home to eat or rather make Uncle Sams cours living rellish much better.

 

but the same night I came in from Picket I was rowsed up at midnight to/ go down to Sthefans Buryt on Picket. there was in all that went out of the Brigade about 500, but when we got there we found we had come to guard Kilpatricks Head Quarters. we stayed there five dayes and last night about half of us came back to Camp, and to day I am on guard. so you can see my time is occupied all the time when I was out of camp we had no chance to write or send letters if we had them written.

 

last night there was 14 new Recruites came to our Company and in all that came to our Reg there was/ 42, two of them that came in our Company was Jim Jenson from the Turnpike and Mr Sterns boy they told me that Ratis Odare was coming pretty soon, and was coming in to our Company. well I can not think of much more this time. I received a letter from you yestarday and one day before which told me you and Luie ar well, and that you had got a part of my mony I expect by this time you have got the rest and my two likeneses. I suppose you will write about soon as they ar received. when I came back last night Charles Mctosh gave me the Suspenders/ you sent me. I like them first rate. I guess I will not rip of so many buttons as I did with my old lether ones. You know the pair I cut at home the winter be fore I left home. I have just throwed away the last one of them I wore them two years. but I must end for this time. give my love to our folks. tell Ma to write. I guess she is mad at me or some thing else. take good cair of your self and Luie and believe me Your ever true Husband. good by for this time

 

Sarah & Luie                                                   Albert R Whitney

SOURCES