Pleasant Valley Washington

County M^d O^ct 9^th 1862

 

My Dear friend Nellie

                 I again seat myself to write you a few lines again although I believe that I do not owe you any as yet but that will make no odds to me I rec^d two from you night before last the first I have recd for over a week as we have not had any mail since we left Arlington till then. was glad to hear that you were well but was sorry that you had got the toothace you had better have it pulled I think. Well as for us we are all comfortable as usual the boys are enjoying life very well to all appearance they would all like to go home if they could without being called cowards but that they are not they are bound to stick it out /

 

If I recollect I have written you since we left Washington which was Oct 1^st at about 11 oclock am we passed over the same road that we came on to within 9^m of Baltimore here we turned off at the Relay House station a very pretty place up the Patapsico River one of the neatest streams I ever saw & some of the prettiest villages that we have seen since we left N.E. it is one the most romantic valleys that can be found any where the hills are high & valleys very narrow the stream swift we arrived at Fredrick the next morning at four oclock it was a very pretty place larger than Concord some should think by the look some very nice buildings but they are mostly oldish buildings very neat & clean streets. the rebels held the place some 10 or 12 days before we were there but the all skedadled before the old fellow Gen^l Burnside / they have all the churches filled with sick & wounded soldiers of all kinds we staid here one day & night & then started for Sandy Hook We went back to Monacacy Bridge & turned off onto the Potomac River the reb^s blowed up this bridge some few days before but they had all left before us. We passed the noted Point of Rocks &^c & arrived at Sandy Hook about 4 P.M. Oct 2—Staid here till the next Monday it was an old dirty place steep high banks on the river we encamped on as steep a side hill as you ever saw we are now some 3 ms from there Burnsides whole corps are here with us I have seen him he looks like the pictures you have seen of him there is some say 100,000 troops within a few miles of us & guess it is so by the looks of camps & tents around us the 9^th N.H. is near us & so is the 6^th / have seen all the boys from Enfield in those Regts out here Cha^s Powers of 6^th Owen Cummings of the 5^th &c they are all well but somewhat tired they are resting now the weather is as warm here as in July in N.H. but cool nights & heavy dews almost like a shower have not got cold since I left Concord have lain all night without a thing over or under me & felt as well in the morning as I ever did in my life it will be strange if I do not get sick but have not lost a meal since that I have been in camp never felt better in my life the boys all are hearty & tough It is said in camp this morning that we shall go from here to Washington & from there to Charlestown S.C. in 2 or 3 weeks but dont know yet. all right it is hard work but not harder or worse than I expected I guess that I have written as much as you can read. I sent some things to you in a box some clothes & some money by express $20.00 to Frank Potter for you use it as you want write soon & often & I will do the same yours Truly NSW

 

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The pictures came all right good for you have some more taken if you want them you need not send any of them at present.                        Direct to [?] as before

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