In Camp Near Fredricksburg Virginia
November the 24th 1862
Dear Wife
I again imbrace the opportunity
to wright you a fiew lines. I can inform you that I am
in good helth at presant, though I am verry sore from
marching so hard, and have a severe pain in my sholder
the rest is so as to be about Isaac is complaining
the most though he is about, We left John at Culpeper
I just now come back from geting my shoes mended
and Joh W Spease and George Beck and several others come
to us. we are now in five miles of the yankey armey
thay say from a hill they can see them across the
river it look like there was a world of them the
spies say they are going down the river they are trying
to slip around and get to Richmond and make out like
they are yet at Fredricksburg but I hope we will be fast
enough for them they are on one side of the Rapahnoc
river and we are on the other in canan shot of each
other our pickets and they talk to each other across the
river I donot think we will have a battle here they
are affraid to cross to us and we are affraid of their
gun bots if they will leave them we will try them
we have a lot of troups here the woods is full fore
miles and several that we now in other ridgments our
boys have seen several of them that belong to Atwods company
[page 2]
I wrote a letter to you just as I started on the
march dated I think the 16 of this month which I fear
the Adjudant did not mail I made a ring and sent in
it We had a hard time marching we marched four
days it raining all the time and had to lay on the wet
ground the rods was the worst you ever saw from shoe
mouth to half leg deep in mud and waid creeks until
night we have no tents or any thing to half shelter us
we have a fiew flies or big sheats four or five to a compay
there was a great many give our and some died I hel
out though it was a bargin the oficers told the gard
if the men didnot come to stick the bayonet in them
that is hard sure. Nov 25th This morning as the mail
is going out I will finish my letter I have no more
news than I had yestarday eavning we are here yet
and I do not know when we will leave We cant
get any thing to eat in the country at any price
butter is $1.50 honey a doller $1.00 a pound cabbach heads
50 cents a piece small at that all such thing is scare
I want you to send me a pegin all the largest I have [1]
got they have a doller for putting on a heel to a shoe I
could mend mine if I had an all I will wright when [awl]
you may send a box there is a good many here that
has boxes in Richmond and cannot get them I will
bring my letter to a close hopeing it may find you
all well If you kneed wood burn that old tobaco barn
it will make good wood and is doing no good where
it is so no more but yours truly J. C. Zimmerman