Union Mills Va
Dea Jan 1st 1863
Dear wife and children
It is New Year day again
and as fine a day as ever
shown up on the earth
just cold enough for a
person to feel comfortable
with a coat on we have
just finished our dinner
of boiled pottoes and
pork and our four crackers
we got another luxury we
got a cup of tea made
in a black greasy iron
kettle you must think
we relished it first rate
we have a great many
luxuries here which I
will try and tell you of
[Page 2 ]
when I get home there
is to be a funeral this
afternoon another one
of our Regiment has
fallen one of our com-
pany was buried last
Monday being the 6th that we
have lost of our company
five have died of the small
pox the ones that was buried
to day and last Monday died
of typhoid fever there is
no new cases of small pox
of late we have got the
mesels now we dont Know
what will come next
We are having very fine
weather down here it is
as pleasant as one could
ask for
[Page 3]
Jan 3rd 1863
I have just came in from
a picketing tour we went
out yesterday at 8 O. Clock
in the Morning and came in
to day at two We had a
very good time of it I will
try and tell you something
of the place we have to go
through to get to the end of
our line we go about a mile
and a half to the Bull Run
Creek then we follow the
creek down 5 or 6 miles through
just such a place as it would
be to start in at the old saw
mill and follow that creek
down to the forks in that
steep bank on the other side
some times up the bank and
[Page 4]
then down over rocks and
through gulfs [1] the lorrels
as thick as they can grow
the roughest place that
ever man went in I think
there was never a rebel there
nor ever will be but for
the want of something else
to do we are Kept at that
to Keep us from spending
to to much of our time laziness
our Col. says that laziness
will Kill a man in a short
time I think he is right in
saying it I have got well
of my cold and feel first
rate again we think the
small pox has played out in
camp but we have got the
mesels well stuck to us
L. Beebe [2]