Falmouth Va. May 9th /63

Dear Friend
I will try and
answer your letter which I got
Thursday and was very glad to
hear from you and to hear that
you was in good spirits.
well hat we have been moving
round some since I last
wrote but have got back to
our old camp again we left here
a weeke ago last Tuesday first
we moved down the river
stoped there two nights then
drove the cattle up to
[page 2]
Sickles [1] head quarters stoped
there all night. and may morning [2]
started the cattle at 5 oclock for
U. S. Ford. [3] the Corps went up
to reenforce the 11th and 12th
Corps which wer crossing up
there it was a vary warm
day they wer fighting all
throug the day we stoped
about 9 miles this side of
the ford. the next day
I with some others had to
go back to Sickles and get
some more cattle didnot get
back untill 11 oclock at
night the rebs got reenforced
about su[n]set and come down
on the 11th Corp pretty hard
and they broke and run and
come vary near causing a
panack through the whole
[page 3]
armey the third Corps had
to go in then and they had
pretty warm work untill about
tenn Tuesday morning they
commenced bright and earley
kept up a steady roar all day
Gen. Berry was killed they seam
to pick our officers off I expect
it is the shoot sharpers [4] I have
heared quite a number of the
old troops say it was the
hardest fight they had seen and
I rekon it was the hardest
that the green troops ever saw
here is the 12th N. H. when
they went in they had over
500 men and the Co. was
well officered. they com out
with about 150 men and
three Lieutenants the rest
wer either killed or wounded.
sunday night we started 12 head
[page 4]
of cattle out to the front started
just after sunset got out there
about 12 stoped there untill
morning. our picketts wer strong
along side of a woods and the rebs
wer in the woods we wer a little
ways in rear of our men about two
they had quite a lively time all
the falt I found with the rebs they
wer too alive I believe they
had just as lives hit a fellow
as not by the way the balls
ziped round there. Gen Whipple
was wounded just after we left
Tuesday we we got orders to move back
to Sickles head quarters stoped there
that night and the next then
com back to our old shanty and
here we ar. I havent seen aney of
the 17th yet Twombly [5] has gon
down there to day we ar expecting
to move every day but donot
know where. what Hooker fell
back for I donot know he could
held his ground where he was
time will tell I suppose.
while we wer up there the 6th
Corps crossed here at Fredericksburd
and took the hights but could not
hold them. I rekon this will
do for war dont you Hat
well this sheet is most full at
least it looks so to me now
had I better stop here I guess I’ll
[continued in right margin]
write a little [m]ore on an other sheat
[page 5]
well hat what kind of a time
did you have May day hope
it wasent as hote there as
it was here. abot that picture
the laughing one you wondered
if he was always jolly as
he looks when he is well
he is always training
he makes things lively
he has the chills quite often
and then he is sober enough
if we both get home perhaps
you will have a chance to see
him. we wer having a good
time when we had the picture
takend and wanted to have the
picture look as comical as
we could so I put on a
long face and the rest
well the picture will speak
[for itself?] [page damaged at bottom]
[page 6]
Hat I dont think you will
ever have a chance to get mad
by my burning your letters
before I read them on account
of their being to long for the
longer the better.
I should like to see Miss Wormwood
I think she must be a nice
girl if you could judg by the
name but then I dont always
take a fancy to black eyes.
I have seen Rash twice since
he got back he looked the
best I have seen him for
some time he has got the
old pipe yet. I should think
Louissa was rather cool. I
dont like this changing old
friends for new ones. yes
Hat I think you and I have
the advantage of May and Ned
[page 7]
for I have lots of Dear
Friends but no dearest
and donot wish to have
aney for then I should not
think of aney of the rest
but now I can think of
the whole and my
greatest wish is to see
them happy. it is geting
so dark that I cannot
hardly see the lines and
I will close write as
often as you can and as
long letters as you have
a mind to the longer the
better. tell Joe that I
wish him much
joy good night.
from your friend
Alvin
[page 8]
[Sunday?] morning it is hot
enough to rost a fellow
how I wish I was at
home to day. I expect you
will see some of the
10th boys for they have
gon home I believe
the 25th time is coming along
pretty fast. Twombly didnot
got to the 17th [6] yesterday I
heared that none of Co. C.
was killed our Reg. is up round
Catlet station I believe Oh Hat
there is a girl up to Catlet Station
I wish you could see her
she hasent black eyes tho
but she is handsome for all
of that and sich a splended
name Amer Jane Hulett
that is almost as nice as
wormwood isent it.
good day
Alvin