Camp near Fairfax

                                                                                                            Court House Fairfax

                                                                                                County Va January 1. 1863

 

Dear Parents I thought as it was new years day I would write and let you kow that we are all here safe and sound their has been 3 or 4 000 rebels near us they tore the track up at Buck stasion put a batery on the telegraf wire a telegrafed to Fairfax stasion to know if we could hold it the Comander at the stasion telegrafed back to him that he could hold it againts any force they the rebs could bring so they kept away from their but telegrafed to Alexandria and could not get eneything from there when they telegrafed / as if from Alexandria and told the Comander he had better run the train back to Alexandria as he might be attacked but he knew that the dispatch did not come from Alexandria for he kept his batery to work on the wire and soon found that it was cut and if he had told them just as it was I think they would have attacked the stasion their was not a whole Regt their but he told them he had a strong their and had the second Vt. Brigade to back him they came up within 1 1/2 miles of the court house and encamped for the night built fires when Gen. Stoughton found who they was he ordered a few shells in that direction which soon made them skedadle out of that they then / went to Shantile near whare our Regt. is on picket their would have been a battle but a nigger from the Court house went over the lines and told the rebs that we had a strong force so they run away the the shells we threw at them killed one or more of them for our men found a mans under jaw and some pistols it is said that Sonewall Jackson is in two days march of here they have got a bridge across the Rapahanock and say that they will eat their new years supper at Fairfax court House but I doe not believe they will it if they try it some body will get hurt our Regt comes in to day we heard that they was turned in the second day that they were out but are all safe and they heard that we was all taken prisoner and / one of them wrote home to his friends that we was all taken but we are here yet and have not been scared very bad last sunday night we were ordered every man that was not sick to rool his blankets and be ready to fall in to eny Regt. that should come along and order us to we got ready but were not called upon so when it was time went to bed and slept till morning the 14^th had orders last night to be ready with two day rations to move out at a moments notice and I think that we will move before long I have taken up all the room so I will halt from your

 

afectionate son

            Edward Grannis

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