Camp Near Leasburg
Nov 1 1862
Dear Sister and friends I
now seat or rather spread
my self upon the earth to
adress you a few lines
to let you know that I
received yours of the 8th
& 20th to day the 8th was missent
we have had a very pleasant
march from Edwards ferry
to this place but it rained
the day before starting and
the river rose some and we
got wet fording the Potomac
I got rather weter than
I need to as I got impatient
and turned out to go faster
and steping on a slanting
rock stagered and went
nearby down on one side
got my hard bread wet
and half of my cateens
[page2]
cartages, My hard bread
wich I thaught the most of
where just right to fry but
the cartage had to be surplied
with others wich was much
more easay to obtain than
bread, after having a good
laugh I boomed on and
pased two companys before
reaching the banck it
was afine sight to see
a river half a mile wide
and not more than three
feet in the deepest place
swaming with men and
teems and artilery, the day
was fine and the many
guns glisened in the bright
sunlight and mirth went
up from many tongue
sparkling light like the riples
upon the waters we crosed
and moved on about a mile
[page 3]
from the bank where we wated
over a day that the rear
might come up when we
moved on yestirday to this
place where we are now stoping
to receive the order Forward
There is a charm in this last
word that nervs the heart
and puts life into the
misle and evry step we take
we know that it is one nearer
the end of our journey that
is to bring peas to an unhapy
people, I have writen to father
to day and wile I wrote
I could hear the canon belching
forth its thunder, It is now
nearly sunset and the sound
has ceased you will hear of
the result before I, but
we conjicture that it is
an atact on sigel and
he has wiped for he is a Herow.
[page 4]
I saw General Stonman to
Day he is a fine looking Man
And not of so much of importance
in his own estimation as some
of our non comisioned ofisers
he sets his hors finely and
looked like a man thinking
upon about his buisnes instead
of himself. You write that
your are content with your
lot you should be so as long
as you do not sufer and so
should evyone Charly Ro[ger?]
arived here yesterday from
the hospital without his
discharge and without the
hope of getting it yet he did not
murmer for he had seen others
in greatr sufering than himself
he told of one that had nine
bulets put into him in les
that fifteen minutes yet
he was alive and hobling about
and others that lay in bed caling
for help wile the Nurses sit idly
by smoking but gave no attention M.P.L.
[written on left margin and over top of pages 2 and 3]
Lois has no hard if she did not make it so she must learn to folow the promptings of her heart instead of her pride and I am fating up fast on my grub