Camp before Fredericksburg Va Jany 17 1863

 

                                                                                    I sit myself this morning to write to you, although I might as well calculate I have no friends to write to, for all my Company have recd from 1 to 6 letters each, since I had any from my dear ones. I cannot make the excuses for you. I only hope they are not serious, & such as will bring sorrow on my brow & heart, for would I picture myself, to myself, as you would myself to you, I might have sickness of heart & that discouraged feeling that would come over me to learn that you are unwell or unhappy. I pray it may not be so, but rather let it be that in your enjoyment of life, you may forget that you have a dear father away down in old Va in his cozy cell, or rather cabin, with walls of split pine 3 ft high, with an A tent on it. it is about 8 by 10 with a fire place in the end 3 feet long 3 high the main part of the chimney being dug in the bank & toped up with sod & on top is a Bble for smoke pipe. our mantle piece extends from one side of the room to the other, & is 10 inches wide from the side of a pine tree which was some six ½ ft in circumference 2½ diameter and one length of which made all the walls of the tent & the first of this style on the ground and on which others have since built theirs & is the best in all respects, of any on this encampment / field officers not excepted. my bed is on the left hand side & made of 2 side pieces 2 end, with 7 slats of Hickory Sample with cedar boughs for my straw tick and tick & on which I stretch my double blanket then myself then the blanket to cover. on the wall is hung my [?], & under my head my coat. I sleep for the night keeping a fire in cold weather all night. the weather has been for the most part first rate, no snow has fallen since we came here, and but few cold days & but little rain it rained hard night before last with high winds & yesterday it was cold at night & during the night, but this morning is like an April morning, fair & bright. we have a very good location but are expecting to leave it very soon & try our way on the march again where we do not know but anticipate across the Rappahannock we hope it will not be in the same place where it was before and that our reception will not be so much to our disadvantage as it then was. we are not sure to go but appearances indicate it. You will probably learn by the papers if it is so for I may not write you again for some time. again have you heard anything from Bub I have not for more than 1 month & have written him twice & sent him his papers requesting his transfer to this Regt I have felt in hopes he would come home & that I should see the / Darling boy out here where he would afford me so much comfort. all my Co are very anxious for him to come. I feel that he is coming or that he is sick or worse than that. I see by the papers that Col. Bisbee is in Command & I think to write him to day, for his transfer. I also learn that the Col. B. is acting General out there, if that is so, I feel assured that he will come sooner or later, & I wish he was here I think he would get one good kiss from his Father. I have had a very good treat from a box of goodies sent to one of my soldiers who was killed in the action consisting of cakes mince pies &c. we sending the Mother a neat little sum of cash for the satisfaction of the favor she expected to have bestowed on her dear son. I am expecting a good treat when my mother sends me a box of her own good things. I have now 2 good letters from her since I have had any from you and am expecting another soon & I look forward to the day that I will be eating a piece of her good cheese & taste of her good butter & a few dried apples & such sort of stuff as we like, and are treats to us, very frequent with some of my neighboring officers & by accident to me as above. I need not anticipate too much pleasure or enjoyment in eating of the things that are not expecting them to come to me, for they may not, for many is the time that / I have been disappointed, & were I not used to it it might come harder. I now have the least sick men in Camp I have ever had reporting only 3 but are fit for duty & they are in Quarters not one in the regt Hospital that is what no other Co can say so if your old Father is not always right he knows how to take care of his men to keep them from being sick as the present shows & even so all the time I had more men on the battle field than any other Co. Why so because I had more men in my Co than any other no. some had 3 more than I in Augusta, & some had 20 more at Sharpsburg, but when they come to count on the field, I go ahead they are from 5 to 20 less than mine. do you suppose daughter that it was in the men, or because their Capt looked out for them & took care of them, or that they liked their Capt & would go, & not be sick because he went himself, or were the men possessed of better & more patriotic souls than the others. Solve this question yourself to your liking I merely mention it to show at any rate as yet I have not been forsaken by my men in the hour of danger. I occasionally nibble of the delicacies you sent me, they are not all gone yet. I have just succeeded in geting 10 dried apples that is first rate & I have now flour & we are just beginning to live comfortably. no doubt we shall move soon for that is generally the case Daniel Marston Capt Co. C.

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