Warrenton Junction May 11 [1863]

Dear Brother
well Orrin
as I have nothing else to do
I guess I will write you a
letter I am on guard a gain to
day guarding a tent where
there is a fellow that has
got the Small pox there is
2 of us from our Co: we are
on a hill and the tent
is 8 or 10 rods down from us
the fellow is about well it is
a mile and a ½ to where the Reg. is
[page 2]
so we took our horses and Blankets
&c and stay here all the time.
it isint quite so warm to
day as it has been a fiew
days back but it is pretty warm
it looks quite summerish the trees
are all leaving out so that
the woods looks green.
we have got marching orders
we are to be ready to start to-
morrow think tis a doubt
if we start before Sunday
going to Fredricks burg Secesh
is geting played out of this state
pretty fast we will be in
Richmond in a weeke and will
get the whole of them if
they dont knock under pretty
soon. the First Cavalry
will not have any thing to
do with fighting for if they
get a chance they will
Retreat as they did at Culpetter [1]
[page 3]
last Monday they saw some
where from 50 to 100 Cavalry
which they could of taken Prisoners
just as well as the 7 they
got but insted of that
the Maj: gave the order to retreat
so they rite about and run all
but one Co. Co. L which was
in advance the Maj: left thare
and run with the rest and
Maj: Witney (that was Capt
W) pulled his sholder pieces
off and threy threw the in
the muds and Capt. Dire was
shouting to the top of his
voice to gallop for God’s sake
and they went 2 miles through
the mud and mire before
they stoped and the [Reberl?]
wer going the other way bound
down Dixey Dixey at the same
roten Co. L took 7 prisoners
before they left and Capt. [Taylor?]
[page 4]
if he had had one Co. more
he could taken the rest.
where the big of the thing
was was their of all leaving
Taylor and running our Leut.
went to the Maj: and
asked him if he couldnot
take Co. F and go back and
help him but no they
must go way back and
form a line of battle.
Oh. I have got $4 out of
Royal and you can take $5
of that that I sent home
and I will get the other dollar
write some good day
. A. M. Brackett
give my love to all the folks and
tell Hat W that I havent heard from
her for a good while
[continued upside down in top margin of page 1]
you will find enclosed in
this a letter for Nell Roberts
and $2 give one to Ellen
and one to Henry they can
do as they like with them