[1] Camp near Fairfax Station Va
Jan 29th 1863
Dear Sis. I thought I would
write you a few lines that might
enter rest you I received a letter
from home last night dated Jan 18th
was glad to here from from you
I am well and wrote home a letter
sinc we marched it is wet and
raing to day out here I like doun
here verry well altho there is but few
houses and what few there is has been
deserted it looks desolate around here
the land is verry good there is but
few stones and a good deal of wood
land we are in Camp a bout quarter
of a mile from the deepo we get beaf
stake here evry day there is asloter [2]
house right by the station where thay
[page 2]
kill cattle we have maid aquite a barn
maid back a little ways in the woods
for our horses it is maid of poles and
brush we maid it our selvs averry hard
raine would wet in but it turnes snow
well we dont drill any now as our horses
are tired and mudy ground we had
35 new recruits come 2 days after
we come if thay would stay we would
have a full Batry but after thay get
there Bounty most of them will
skedaddle as a good meny has done
there is a plase not far from here
in the woods where the rebels has
been acorden to what the nabours
say there is a lot of little houses
maid of logs with fire places in
them maid of stones and clay
and there is alarge ditch dug
where thay keept there horses
[page 3]
with brush over it one of the boys
found a boot with part of a ma
ns leg in it part of his pants in
it and an old Coat beside it
and a new grave side of it thay
say that it was don about a
fort night ago Coming a long
the road about a mile from
fair fax Cort house lay a verry
nise horse ded the vermont
boys killed him they dident
get his rider but thay tryed
to hard a man told ous at the
Cort house that the horse
belonged to stureds Cavelry
thay was all around here two
weks a go thay allways go in
farmers cloaths mounted
on horses I havent seen
any of them but should like
[page 4]
to I recieved the diary that you
sent me it is a verry nise
one and I shall set evry thing
down in it I should like to
send you some thing in plase
and meby I shall soon perhaps
bring it my self I supose you
had gay times this winter
going to school and skating
and so forth I havent seen a piese
of ice as big as a room flour [3]
I had a verry nise little
kitten up to Camp [mauran?]
it was black and white but
when we come a way I had
to leave it when I get home I
shall have one again meby
should like to write you more
but paper wont alow give my
love to the folks yours truely
J P Campbell