Frediricksburg VA Feb 1st 1863
Dear Benj
I now seat my self to
drop you Afew lines to let you
no how I am gettin Along I am
well at presant except A bad
cold which I caught playing
in the snow I wrote to you
day before yesterday you no I
told you A bout Tooms Brigade [1]
coming over to snow ball Cobbs
Brigade well Kershaws Brigade
come in the place of Tooms
and such snow balling I never
saw before Cobbs Brigade run
them About three miles well
yesterday Cobbs Brigade formed
in line of battle and marched
About 2 miles in the snow to
Kershaws Brigade we were in
line of battle on A hill
[page 2]
and Kershaws formed and
come out to fight us all our
Officers was out and all there
Officers was out too the field
Officers was in there houses and
when they come against us they
come with A yel and Benj
the great god I never saw snow
Balls fly so in my life you
better be leave we give them
fits they charged on us and
we met the charge and evry
fellow had his haver sack
ful of snow balls and we
run them down to the bottom
of the hill and there they
ralied and boath brigades came
to gether and closed in with
one another and then you better
beleave we had it shure
I tell you it got so tight
[page 3]
that some got to throwing
rocks and then some got to
fighting shure enough and
then it got so tight and
the snow balls and the rocks
flew so that I got out of
it as quick as possible I tell
you Some of the officers on there
horses would wave there hats
and the there heads would
get his head pelted was the
way I tell you it beat any
thing that I ever saw in my
life there was four thousand
men in gaged on boath sides
and you no it was some Benj
while we were in line of battle
shore come Along 2 men on
horse back and they commensed
throwing at them and they
had to let there horses out
[page 4]
to keep from being knocked
of[f] the snow is yet About
12 inches thick it was About
nee deep where we fought the
battle Benj I have said enough
About it now I will leave
you now to Juge for your
self it will be put in the
papers I think Benj I
tell you what I want you
to doo for me if you please
go to Waynesboro on the 14
of this month and get me
2 pretty valentines and send
them to me in A letter I
want them to send to A
young Lady get them before
the 14nd if you can but I no
you can get them on the 14
Benj I must come to Aclose
you Affectionate Brother
James