October 1^st

Washington Camp Holt

 

My very Dear Aunt

                                                                                                                                    Old father time has passed away so quickly that I am hardly aware of the fact that severel days have passed away since I received your kind gratifiing letter dated the 11^th I was very glad to hear from you and to know that you were all enjoying usual good health and spirits and I am pleased to say that I am also well tough hearty and happy as can be expected since I last wrote we have moved from our former quarters to that of the present we are now situated near the Potomac river that is about a mile from it and about severn miles from Washington there is a strong Battery being erected here and there are severel forts near here so you see that this part of the / country is pretty well protected well I think it needs it for it is the most conspicuous place there is this is what is called Louse Neck it is a short bend in the river about two miles above chain bridge and if the southerners wer march to take Washington they I think they will cross the river here I should think from the description of Bulls Run that that place resembled it very much as regards the face of the country. it is filled with hollows covered with woods and crossed with creeks in all directions Just the place for fighting and fit for nothing else of any account I think that there will be no regular battle untill the leaves have fallen from the trees to be sure there will be skirmshes Munson Hill was taken Saturday by Genl McLellan without any resistance whatever on the part of the enemy who fled on the appearance of our troops taking with them all their / arms (with the exception of five or six pieces of stove pipe cannon) and leaving their breastworks and batterys to our troops I should have thought Genl McLellan would have tried to have taken this post before as it is in sight from the capitol and they have had their Palmetto flag floating there all the summer we had orders to march Saturday and we had three days rations given out but the orders were countermanded and we did not go but I think we shall leave here soon and other troops will take our place here there are troops rushing in here every days there were severn thousand came in here in severn hours one day and six thousand came in on Friday I think there is no doubt but what we shall beat in all the coming battles as we have not only got right on our side but might for according to the southern statistics our army out numbers theirs by full 2000 thousand I have / not much more news to tell you as I do not get a chance to read the papers much all the news I know is what I hear from our officers I had a letter from Mr Sawtell the other day he is not very well now his wife is still in Ashburnham she has lost another sister this makes two she has lost this summer he wants to go back to Iowa and go to farming again as his business does not agree with him very well he sent his best respects to you and I in turn when I wrote to him took the liberty to send yours to him. dear Aunt if some of my letters come with the postage not paid on them you must not blame me as I thought they went through free and I can not always get stamps but I have heard that you had to pay postage on them when there was no stamp on please write soon give my love to all of our folks and now sending a due proportion to yourself I remain your nephew A C Woods

 

P.S. direct your letters to Camp Holt &c please remember me to all that are kind enough to enquire. A.C. Woods

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