As the mail has not come in yet Al is going to write a few more lines for me, as this will not go till the other comes, & it may not come to day. We had quite a time here the other night when we got alarmed. I was about four miles from camp at a schoolhouse & the rain was pouring down & it thundered & lightened awful. I did not like to start home but had to through the mud & it was dark as Egypt, & we went tumbling through the mud & water at a great rate. When we got into camp we found the boys all up & in the rifle pits with their guns waiting for the Rebs but as none came we all went to bed & slept till 3 & then got up again as we expected an attack in the morning, but they did not come. Last night we were ordered to sleep with our trappings on, & this morning / we got up at 3 again & waited for them about 2 hours but nothing happened. One of the boys that I tent with shot himself through the hand with a pistol the other night when the camp was alarmed. Some of us think he did it on purpose to get rid of going into battle. Our regiment has a plenty of duty to do now & I am on guard or shoveling on the rifle pits most every day. I rested yesterday but to day I am guard at the camp. General Morris inspected our Brigade yesterday & we made quite a good show & went through with it first rate. When you write direct to Baltimore & write on one corner of the envelope ‘Please forward to regiment’. Do you remember of hearing about the battle fought here last fall when Colonel Miles surrendered to the Rebs. He was an old traitor and got killed for his pains. We are on the old battle ground and we cannot go to / any part of it where there has not been camping places. It is two very high hills with quite a valley between them and on one where the hardest fighting was done the Rebs are buried but they were buried in such a hurry that they left their toes sticking above ground & one’s hand could be seen. There was several hundred bodies left among the trees & when our troops came back they had to burn them up. The two hills are covered with cannons & the infantry & light Artillery is in the valley. The 4^th Maine Battery is close by our camp, it has 7 guns But it is near dinner time & I must close by asking how my bees get along. I send you my love & kisses for the children & best wishes to all the neighbors & write soon to your Husband. Z Larivier

 

P S. Tell Philena to send me another posy when you write Good day /

 

Wednesday morn 24^th. All well & everything quiet. Our Pickets captured 8 Rebel cavalry last night. Gen Pleasonton gave the Rebs under Stewart a good whipping sunday out by Ashby’s Gap. Captured some prisoners 2 pieces of Artillery & some small arms & drove them 18 miles. Please tell Hank and Laura Puse that you have heard from Zeph & Al. No mail has come yet, I am going to try & send this with the Generals mail.

 

            Love to you all good by

                                                Zeph

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