[July]
[1]

Warrenton Vir 15th 1862
Dear sister,
Your letter written June twenty second
was not recieved till this morning
I had purposed writing to day
if it had not come.
Since my last note to you we have
shifted around considerable. Manasses
Catlett Sation, and Warrenton
have each been our head quarters
I have been to Washington Mansion
twice, and Amosville twenty miles
west from here, aside from our
regular marching, The weather
is hot and is getting to be quite
[page 2]
dry. Cherries are most played out
Blackberries so large that one
affords two good bites, are very
plenty and ripe, they are the
running variety the bush or
high ones are not ripe yet.
So for war news
there is but little of importance
at present our forces seem to
be on a stand till the tide
if battle almost roles against
us, and without reinforcement
our army cannot penetrate much
farther into the land of Sesesion,
if indeed it can hold all
places now in our posession.
I think there will be some
pale faces in old Maine when
they draft if they have

to take that course to procure
their new quota
[page 3]
Write soon [2]
July 19th, 1862
So I have neglected sending my
letter will write a few words
more and call it all new.
We here had a real Virginia
rain storm during the past two
days, flooding the country, and
making locomotion any thing but
agreeable = last night my blanket
and all my clothes were as wet
as tho they had just come out the
river, but getting wet is nothing
new to a soldier, or having on
wet clothes
I have been swinging the
Scythe to day – and such a
scythe = should laugh to see my
self using such a thing in
Maine, but we only cut grass
enough for our horses, so dont
make much prepperation for haying
[page 4]
Saw by the papers that Maine
is right into raising her portion
of the troop, and is offering
great inducements indeed those
that come in at the eleventh hour
are to have the best.
There is a little partiality used
in regard to giving State bonty
the first ten Regiments got
twenty two dollars the other five
Reg of Infentry, Batteries and cav –
alry have nothing and the State
refused last Winter to give them
anything those that are called
into service now, they propose
to give seventy five dollars,
perhaps it is all right but I dont
see it, There is nothing new
that I can think of to write
so give my respects to all, and
keep my love for yourself
From your absent brother
F. N. Holman