Camp near Falmouth Dec 19th 1862
Sister Hattie
I thought as I had a few moments
to spare I would write you a few lines
to let you know that Dave come out
of the fight all right it was a hard
fight but our boys stood up to it like
men there was but 2 killed out of our
Regt but some of the other Regts got
cut up awfully; a battle field is
a [f??] place if once seen can never
be for goten the crys of the wounded and
the dying is more then humanity can
bare some crying for help some for
watter some for their friends to come
and get them and not leave them there
to die it is awfull; Fredricksburg
was a fine little place before the fight
but is about all burned now there was
4 churches and a lot of stores it is about
6 times as big yarmouth but our force
[page 2]
threw shot and shell into it all day
before we went over to the fight
and then after we wen over the bridge
the Rebs they began to throw shell into
it so between the two they have just about
stove it all to pieces.
I had a letter from Mary yesterday
and one From Timothy and Lewis
they are well Timothy is sick of the snow
he don’t know eny thing about it yet
let him go into one fight [or?] and
be under fire for 60 hours in the
very front in the mud 3 or 4 inches
deep and nothing to eat but hard bread
and raw pork and not enough of that
and then he will know some thing about
war I wish it was at an end
for I have seen all I wanted to se
but we have got to se more before
long I think there will be another
fight before long but there may not
bef another fight for some time
write to me Hatt as soon as you get this
Yours Truly David V Lovell
[page 3]
Mary
I thought as I was writing to Hatt
I would just write a word to you
about the cooking all the Regts have
to do just as ours do that is in the front
each man has his grub given to them
his bread and coffee and every thing
and each man has to cook his grub
but if we go into winter quarters then
I shal go to cooking again there has ben
times since we have ben on the tramp
that I have not seen the Regt for [4?] days
there is no blame on here for
every man in they Co would be glad
to have it so that I could cook for
them again we have had to leave
away about all our pots because it
is such bad going we could not
haul them for they wanted the
teams to haul grub
as for rum it has ben so long
since I tasted any that I don’t
know how it would taste
but I thought when we was laying
in the mud and watter I should like
[continued in right margin]
to have a little
just to warm up poor David
[page 4]
kiss my darlin darlin baby
and tell her I have not for goten
her yet and never shal for I have
had to meny good times with her
tell Irvine he is my little man
I want you to write often
we have not ben paid off yet
and dont know when we shal
give love to all friend and take
a large share your self
yours with love David V Lovell

P S Marston is getting a long first
rate I saw him yesterday he is out round
I had balls go so near me as to blow my
hair : you could hear them ring all a round
but the shell bursting over our heads
and our batterys behind us fireing
over us about 6 feet above our heads
as we lay on the ground was music
quite diferent from what you have
at home