Harrissons landing va

November 19th 1862
Dear sisters and brothers
i now take the
pleasure of writing a few lines to you hopeng
they may find you all well as they
leave me at presant. i have got tired of
waiting for a letter so i take this oportunity
of writing to you. i have nothing much
to write about i beleive they have been
fighting up front to day as we can
hear the roaring of artillery and
the ratling of small arms. we hear
to night by the mail boat that
the army is moveing. no one was
more delighted on hearing the election
of old Abe the soldiers here
we have a great many jokes here
about little mack if we see a
man on the mast of a boat going
up or down the river the cry is
there goes little mack but
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that is not the gun boat gallcana
if we come acros any thing like old
shovels or picks or gun barrels or any thing
like that which ther is a great many
lying around there is the leavings
of little mack or the grave diger
of the chickhomany as he is often called
i am glad to tell that not one vote
from this detachment went for
him. how are you salt river
i see that he has resighned it is
a pitty that he did not resighn
before he came up here. our seargent
here has been promoted to second
leutenant in the first collored
regiment. we have good quarters here
we have built a fireplace out of
brick and mud i think we are good
here for the winter four of our men
here gets out this winter as their time
is up there is nothing of aney importace
going on here. please send me some
paper and envellopes and stamps
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and the directions to James Elliott
in your next. it is raining here now
please send in your next the particulars
of how things are going on about
home their was a shameful affair
happened at powhatton last week
their were twenty seven men went out
in the country without their arms
and three rebs gobled them up onley
four escapeing the last they heard
from them they were going as fast
as they could for the blackwater
they belonged to a jersey one year
regiment Just come out. i will now
quit writeing for to night and finish it
in the morning november 20. it is still
raining there was heavy fireing
last night up front
please excuse my not writing
sooner
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i must now Close
so now more at presant
from your affectionate
brother Arthur Martin