July 30/63

                                                                        Warrenton Junction Thursday Evening

 

Dear Emeline,

                                    What can the matter be at home or is it in the Post Office department. I got a letter tuesday evening Dated the 5 and finished the 8 inst and that makes two letters this month But then I suppose you have written more than two letters; where we are now letters can reach us in three days and lay by 12 hours in Washington We are only about sixty miles from Washington and trains leave & arrive every hour during the day. Our Battalion is lying here with the first Army Corps for what I can not tell, and how long we shall remain here I do not know but think it will not be long, perhaps we may be called on in the morning and as far as I am concerned I am ready It is a very pleasant place here but we have the poorest water that we have seen since we have been in service we have a hole dug in the ground and in it we get mud and water or else we / can go 3/4 of a mile and get water out of a creek that we call Water & Mud just for a change, but then we do not complain for we will soon have better, that is when we get out of this hole; we have good wood to cook with such as Oak & Hickory The 7^th Co. (Our Company) left here Monday morning, and are now at Rapahannock Station at the river. Our forces are laying down a bridge and the rebs are a little troublesome, so the Gen. thought he would send out a Co of S.S. and he called on Our Co. to go we have not heard from there direct but the R.R. hands say they saw them shooting across the river at gray backs. Lieut. Perry is in command of the Co. Lieut Hall having gone to Washington sick, and Capt Arnold is in command of the Batt. Our Batt is not in any Brigade yet and I hope will not be. we are merely attached to the first Army Corps and consequently we are a little Independent, but we are called on to go here & there just as needed Where we are now there is not a house / that any one lives in within about two miles of us. between the rebs & the Union forces every thing is desolated nothing remains but Old foundations where once stood fine Dwellings, but then that is one of the casualties of war We are but a short distance from the Old Bull run battle field and also the place where the Rebs had the Quaker guns, at Manassas.

 

Our sick boys that is those that we left at the various Hospitals, are now constantly coming back to us. to day we had an arrival of four that was at Ft Monroe A. K. yet remains at the Hospital the boys say he is as fat as a cubb. Our boys say that they saw the Company from Jamestown the Malitia at or near Berlin. also they saw the 9 Cavalry the 79^th &c. I have seen some of the boys of Old Pa B. and also some of the boys of Marshes Co. You see we occasionally come acrossed some of the Old Soldiers that we once knew, and it does us good to take them by the hand and hear them tell what they / have passed through, but few of them are now left. It looks hard but then war shows no respects to persons but all must take their chance.

 

When I shall be able to see a time of leisure so as to come home I can not say but if there should be a time when we will lay up for any length of time I then shall apply for a leave of absence. My health is good still I do not speak louder than a whisper yet, but then that is nothing you know, I have been so a few days you know at home. So you need not worry about it, for I will not be so long.

 

I suppose Wm is yet at home doing his haying and I expect Mills is to busy to drop a line to a soldier and as for Father, I presume is to busy draging, or else working for Seymore so I need not look for a letter from him, but then I will look for one from you until I get one. there is not much news to write just now so I will close by wishing you all good health & prosperity. So good bye

 

                                                                        Yours &c

                                                                                                James

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