[1] Union Mills Va.
Feb 14th / 63
Wife and Children
As I have a little time to my
self I thought I would improve
it in writing a few lines to you
to let you know how I am get-
-ting along and where I am
Altho it may be some time
before you get it I wrote to you
two or three days ago saying
we were under marching orders
and thought we should leeve
the next day well the next
morning at sunrise found us
with our knapsacks packed
and haversacks with three
days rations in them and our
tents packed and ready to load and
the men ready to fall into line
at a minutes notice when there
came an order for me to report
[Page 2]
myself to the Col. Headquarters
I went accordingly the Col said
I was to be detained here as a
witness in a Court Martial
trial that would take place
some time he said we might have
to stay one week and perhaps
two so here I am myself with
two others one from my own
Company and one from another
to get along as best we can
the Regiment left that day on
the cars for Alexandria to take
boats down the potomac to some
place. I herd last night that
the cares as they was near Fairfax
ran of the track and killed
two of the boys and hurt a number
more I dont know whether it
is so or not we have drawn our
pay we get it up to the first
of January when we get
[Page 3]
settled down again I shall
try and send some of it home
to you we are looking for another
Regiment in here to take the place
that ours left if they come
there will lively times again
and it wont be quite so lonesome
as it is now then is one Regiment
here now but they lay over
the hill out of sight of us
there is a battery of light
artilery not far of from us
you may want to know where
we stay while we are here well
we are occupying a log cabin
the Col. had put up for his
Headquarters we have a very
comfortable place but we are
very destitute of cooking utensils
we are left with nothing but
our tin cups to use we have
to make our coffee in them
[Page 4]
our meet if we got any we
shall have to roast it on a stick
before the fire. I said we were
here alone but the officer that
is awateing his trial is here with
us only he occupies another shanty
he was looked upon as one of the
pleasing Captains in the Reg.
we are haveing the finest kind
of wether down here it is the
greatest place for makeing sugar
here that I ever see if we only had
the trees but I have not seen
a hard maple since I have
been here it freezes most evry
night but the sun thaws it
out the next day I must
stop by saying that I shall
continue to write and keep you informed
of our where abouts as often as
I can so good by
Lyman Beebe