Camp near the Philips House

                                                                                                Opposite Fredericksburg Va.

                                                                                                            Feb. 1^st 1863.

 

                        Mr. Frost.

                                                I have received your favor of the 26^th ult. and would say that you I was glad to hear that you had received that, but as the rainy season has come on, and as it usaly remains very muddy here a long time, I have pretty much made up my mind that a portion of my money would be pretty well expended, paid out for a pair of boots, and boots are very high here, from eight to ten dollars a pair. I received the five dollars you sent me, the / first of last month. I am what under the circumstances I call well, that is I do duty, but I do not feel exactly as I should want to if I was at home, to call myself well. there is a rumor running through the camps in this vicinity that the soldiers of the Army of the Potomac are to be furloughed home on furloughs ten days long at the rate of two men from every one hundred men at a time, so I do not know but there may be a small chance for me, if the rumor should proove true, but it is probably false, for we have had rumors in camp several diferent times since the battle of Antietam that the eighth or that the eighth and eleventh were going home, that Gov. Buckingham was going to recall us, but they turned out to be idle rumors, as this one / may. there is also a rumor in camp that we are going to move not against the rebel works in the rear of Fredericksburg, but to get nearer wood. it takes two teams constantly, besides men enough to cut, load, and unload it to keep the regiment in wood, although we number but about one hundred and twenty-five duty men. I have not much more to write now, so I must bid you good bye for the present

 

                                                                        From               Franklin M. Rose

                                                                                                Co. E. 8^th C.V.

                                                                                                2^nd Brig. 3^rd Div.

                                                                                                            9^th A.C.

                                                                                                Army of the Potomac.

SOURCES