Camp 8^th Pa. Cav. Near Warrenton

Jan 20^th 1864

 

Dear Sister Kate

                                    Your truly welcome & interesting letter came safe to hand a few days since. I was very glad to hear from you and the dear ones. But Kate I am in very nearly the same fix that you sayed you were when you wrote to me. I can think of but little to write. Since I last wrote there has but little transpired of note untill the fifth of this month. You are a ware that we had got our winter Quarters built & was pretty comfortably situated. so you can immagin our dissatisfaction at getting the orders to move camp

 

            We got the orders about noon, we commenced to pack our saddles & was ready to move about two o’clock, but as usual we did not get started untill near night and / arrived at this place about one o’clock at night & bivouaced in a field for the night I have saw and went through many hard storms and marches, but I never had one of the same length th to set so hard on me as that one did. it comenced snowing the night before our march & snowed to the depth of thre or four inches and cleared off cold You can just bet there was a great many hard words made use off that are not in the Bible. many of the men froze their feet & fingers. there was but little sleeping that night. we spread our shelter tents on the snow with our over coats & horse blankets under us but the cold was to intence. we could not sleep but little. we were out of bed long before daylight & had our coffee cooked & breakfast eat before daylight. we got orders to pack up again and soon were on the march again. we halted at this place about ten o’clock & went into camp & got orders to put up winter quarters again. we are now in conffortable quarters again & hope / we may stay untill the spring campaign opens. There has two hunder & twenty men reinlisted in the Reg^t they were mustered in a few day ago and payed off they received over two hundred dollars. the old $100 bounty, $60 of an installment $13 advance pay & $2 premium, making $1.75 received on the musterin rolls, and two months back pay $26 and what ever was due the soldier for clothing not drawn which on an average was about twenty dollars was payed on the muster out rolls, making $46, Total $2.21.

 

            Now Kate I have concluded to tell you something that I think you will interest I did think that I would say nothing about it until I came home. it is this. I have reinlisted as a Vettern Volenteer for three years more. I am to hold the same position hereafter that I hold now. I am to have a furlough of thirty five days. But cant say how soon I will get it though some time betwen the first of / January and the expiration of my orriginal inlistment or the contract will be of no good dont give yourself any unesiness for I am in no more danger any of being shot than you are. I suppose Mother will think me rather disobedient, but when I recived her request it was to late. you can use your own plasure as to telling her of my reinlistmen before I come home. I will tell her all when I see her. I close hopeing this may find you as it leaves

 

Your Brother

 

Give my Love to all

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