Camp Advance February 22^nd/62

 

Dear Brother James

                                                When I wrote my last to you we were just about leaving Camp Casey. We struck tents wednesday morning about three O’clock and was ready for a march by daylight. We was to have went on tuesday but it was postponed on account of the rain. Wednesday early in the morning bid fare to be a nice fine day, but just about as we formed in line to march it commenced to rain and rained all day. We sent the baggage train ahead of us which consisted of about sixty waggons three teems to each waggon. We marched through the city of Washington and took a ferry boat at that place to Alexandria You cannot imagine what a sweet march we had from our old camp to Washington after several days rain upon the street. We previously provided ourselves with a new pair of boots and it is well we did for we should have had to have gone bare foot our shoes would have been left in the mud. But after we embarked on the ferry boat we enjoyed the sights wonderfully. We just commenced to see some of the great defences of the City of Washington. The little noles and hills seemed to look like mow banks from the number of encampments and entrenchments, large forts made of the earth and mounted with large pieces of cannon. All the way down the river to Alexandria seemed to be nothing but encampments of vast bodies of troops. We arrived at Alexandria about twelve O’clock and remained on the wharf until the Officers should receive further orders. / We remained in the rain for about half an hour standing on the wharf laughing and joking at one anothers complaints until one of our company fell overboard I presume to find shelter from the wet but the rest not liking one to enjoy more than another soon pulled him out of that.

 

We marched through the City of Alexandria which presented a very fine appearance, but was exceedingly quiet. There are a number of splendid mansions and altogether reminds me of some parts of Brooklyn. We made our way to the Pensylvania R. Road Depot for shelter from the storm, until we should receive further orders. After waiting about two hours the Colonel told us that he had found quarters for us to remain in the city over night we then marched up to the Marshall House where Col. Elsworth was killed, and one half of our regiment took charge of the place and held posession over night. The left wing of the Regiment which included our company went to the Post Office and Customs House Building and took posession of the uper part of the building. It made very comfortable quarters for us, for we expected to lie down in the mud to sleep that night, and felt very thankful that providence had given us a floor to lie upon and a nice room to cover us and shelter us from the storm. Some of the men now began to set down and eat their rations for they were tired, wet, and hungry. some eat the two days rations at once and had none for the second day. For my part I got along very well, but after setting down awhile I found that new boots did not agree with my feet and they began to give considerable pain the leather was soaking with / wet and feet swelled so as to make my boots very tight. And I was afraid to take them off for fear I could not get them on again but after waiting several hours and trying in vain to sleep, I puled off my boots and lied down on the floor and went to sleep, and waked up in the morning as fresh as a lark. But question was, Boots feet larger and boots smaller, and after thinking awhile, and laying awhile, I commenced opperations which was no small task. I used plenty of soap on my feet, and then saturated my socks with soap, and soaped well the inside of my boots, and after a plenty of hard work and elbow grease I succeeded in getting them on my feet but could hardly walk but after getting alittle accustomed to such squeeseing they began to get a little more comfortable. We started the next morning which was thursday for the place of our encampment, and after marching out of our way about a mile and getting fast in the mud we commenced for the first time to retreat, which was done considerably in the Bull Run style, went back to the Rail Road Depot and took another road in a different direction. after going about mile and half we arrived at a creek. the name I have forgotten. A bridge had been built but such a bridge you never saw. We thought we had a hard time of it the day previous but it was no circumstance to what we now had to pass through. The Bridge was made of stone thrown across the creek and covered with knee deep of mud and some times far deeper. we walked in the water until it came to boot top and then took the mud. It certainly was a sight to see the men drudging through the mud with about sixty pounds weight on their backs besides their guns. Some / Some poor fellows who was not as strong as others could hardly get along. when they put one foot down it was a question wether they would get the other up to put down sometimes they would go headlong in the mud, and such a picture as they did present would make you laugh for we laughed at one another at each others predicament After we crossed the creek, but what I would call a river for it is wider than Shrewsbury River Monmouth County—we went into an old field that had not been tilled for years and threw ourselves on the ground and remained there until we could recover strength to march further. After waiting about an hour we were ordered to advance which we did we went through wheat fields swamps, woods, military encampments, and everything else for about four miles. We are now encamped in a cleared up spot on the side of woods. it is all country all around us. We are on the extreme outposts of the Army, and belong to the left flank of the Army of the Potomac. We expect to go out soon on picket duty we scout for about twelve miles in front of us. there the Rebels have there pickets. We got things far more comfortable than we expected Altogether we felt rather jolly in our new quarters, and like the place far better than Camp Casey. There are lots of troops on the Right of us. We are in General Heintzelmans division who occupies a splendid mansion a few miles in the rear of us. The country is deserted all around us by the inhabitants. Alexandria is gaurded night and day by a provost Gaurd. it looks a great deal like a deserted city. Mount Vernon is about four miles from here. We received those three papers last night, also 1 letter from Oliver and one from Elisabeth. You must direct your letters to Camp Advance near Alexandria, Washington D.C.

 

                                                                                    Your Brother Jonathan Sproul

 

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Remember us to all our Friends and tell them to write.

 

Wilson wrote three letters today, one to Kate one to Elisabeth one to Caroline

 

The enthusiasm is unbounded of the troops on the reports of the victory of the Union men

 

We received that package from M^r Simonson for which receive our thanks, it was just time for a march

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