Camp near Stevensburg Va.
Dec.. 18th 1863
Well Martha
I seat myself
this mmorning to address you a
few lines in reply to your
kind favor wich I received
some time ago, I would have
answered it sooner but between
marching & building winter quarters
& doing other duty in the regt.
I have had but little time
to write, I suppose you have
heard of the trip we had a
crost the Rappadan we were gon
about a week, We left camp
on the morning of the 26th
& got back to our old camp
on the evening of the 2nd Dec
i wont pretend to give you
[page 2]
all of the particulurs of our
march for it would take to
much time and paper
but I will relate to you some
of them We marched to Germania
ford on the morning of the 26th
wich was about 5 miles & the fourth
Brigade & part of the first had
to wade the river before the ponttons
was laid to ocupy some breast
works of the rebs for fear the[y]
would come on to us while
crossing the river, It was a purty
Cold opperation & after we crost
they would not let us have fire
to dry our selves by for fear the
rebs would see the smoke so
we had to dry as well as we
could in the sun we did not
go very far that night untill
we camp & then we got along
very well untill the afternoon
[page 3]
of the 29th we were engaged
a short time with the rebs
wich was not very nice
There was only two companys
of our regt. engaged A. & H.
we were sent out on the
scirmish line not far from
Roberson cross roads & did
not advance very far untill
we seen a line of rebs in the
woods we were ordered then to
lay down to wait for the rebs
to come out but the would
not co[m]e we were orderd then
to rise up and advance when
there was a volly of bullets
came a mogst us like hail
we raised a yell & started at
them on the double quick
fireing as we run we chased
the rebs out of the woods into there
brest works
[page 4]
we stayed there untill dark
when we were releaved & fell
back on the support we came
off purty safe there was only one
killed & one wounded in Co. A &
only one slightly wounded in our
Co. by the name of Lance, so we
stayed there untill the night of
the first when the army fell back
& we recrosst the rive on the
morning of the 2nd we are now
laying in camp about two miles
from stevensburg we have put up
winter quarters & I suppose we
will get to stay here all winter
I wish you was here once to see
our nice quarters the 140th looks
like a small town Each Co.
has its own row of shantys, our
Co. has 13 the size of them is 7 ft by
10 ft about 7 feet high with a
chimly in one end I will have
to draw to a close for it is
purty near dinner time & Jim
will soon be in off picket &
expecting soething good to Eat
So I will close now hopeing to
hear from you soon
G. V. Hood