Cumberlan gap Va

Out on picket                                     

Friday evening Nov 27^th 1863

 

                        Wel Mother i seat myself by the side of a large Chesnut tree to answer yore most kind an motherly letter that i received day before yesterday it was the best letter that i ever have received from home for you told me a little about evry thing and thats what i like.

 

Wel Mother i am well and as fat as a hog but we have been living on parched corn we draw 3 years a day and thats a plenty you know. we left Bulls gap the 18^th and marched to bean station 20 mi then stayed there 1 day then marched over Clinch mount the 20^th to a town called Taswell. here it rained all night on us the next day we marched to Cumberlan gap it rained all day strait down but we paddled through the mud lik a soldier the boys says its just playing soldier when we have to march in good weather the boys are getting pretty well run down S Cummings is sick an has been sent through to camp Nelson the rest of the boys are all well i believe that you know

 

We got here the 20^th and on the 24 we got marching orders so we marched over the Mt into Ky and the next day we marched 6 mi and halted for further orders you see we thought we were a going right home but the next morning we struck tents counter marched by file left & went back over the Mt through the gap camped 2 mi north of the gap in the vally in Va the pretiest place that i ever saw cedar and pine all through the camp and mountains on all sids it is a most delightfull place i am just as well satisfied here as at any place else but then we have 150 mi miles to walk befour we will meet but then i am not a bit home sick a tall i would like to have been there when you killed hogs but then it couldent be you know and its no use thinking about it atall /

 

I'll tell you a little circumstance that hapend to day you see the orders are to let no citizen in or out without a pass there was a man came with a sack full of sweet cakes to the port and wanted in and he had no pass so the guard called for me and i went and told him to let me see his cakes and id see if i couldent let him so he handed me the cakes and i walked a way with them he told me to pay him for them but then i told him this was pay day and to just come to camp and he would get it so i walked back to the picket quarters i think No. 1 mess will have a good dinner when i go to camp tomorrow morning i expect you would think it wicked to do that way but it is according to the army reggulation you know & we have to have something to eat you know and i think it is just wright.

 

you said that toby an papa was gone after stone coal i reccon he will not have so much wood to cut now his hogs did not fetch him verry much money i donot think yesterday was thanksgiveing day and Mr Summerbell preached last night a most glorous sermon all the boys like him mighty wel for he is a clever man Oh i forgot to tel you that we were with the Regt again

 

Wel i got a letter from Mary Starks when i got yours i gess i will quit my letter and go & eat some sweet caks for supper i would like if you would send me my mittons by mail for them is all that i need for i have 4 pair of socks 4 shirts 3 pair of drawrs 1 blows and a dress coat and i think that will keep me warm i have not got tobes letter yet nor have i got any from tell since i left Indiana I gess he has forgot that he has got a brother bart

 

Well good by Mother

from your Soldier Son Bart Dooley

 Co B 115 Regt Ind Vol

Cumberan Gap, V^a

 

to Sarah A Dooley                

            Bethany                       

            Park C^o

            Ind

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