Catletts Station Va. Oct. 25th/63

Dear Father
	Yours of the 4th
inst. was rec. by me on the
10th the day before the Army 
Retreated from Culpepper
and I was very happy to hear
from you. I do not know
as I shall be able to write
much at this time for we
are under Orders to be ready
to March at a Moments notice
and are liable to March at 
amy Moment, but in what
direction I can not tell,
not knowing, but I think
in the direction of the Johneys
(as we call the Rebes) I will 
not attempt to give you an
account of our falling back
to the Centreville Hights
(where Mead halted and offered
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2
Gen Lee Battle) for you can 
(or probably have) get a much
better account of it in the Papers
than I can give; and time
forbids my doing so, but I
can assure you, that the Rebes
Suffered much more (while we
were falling back) than we
did. They lost some 8 or 10
Guns, and from 800 to 12000
taken Prisoners. I saw 5 of the Guns
and 400 at one time of the Pris
-oners. I think we lost no
Guns and but few taken Prisoners
what the Object of the Rebel Gen
was I do not know, but by
his tareing up the Rail Road
so and burning up the ties
and heating and bending the
Railes and so many Miles
of it, it looks as though he
intended to drive ahead 
in to the fortifycations around
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3
Washington then destroy the R
Road and fall back as
fast as possible across the
Rappahannock and Rapidan
Rivers and then send the
bulk of his forses or a
large part of them either
to Reinforce Brag or to
check Burnsides advance
towards Lynchburg. The late
news from Burnside would
seem to indicate that the
latter Gen was the one that
Lee was compelled to fall
back and attend to, and at
once to, for the Rebel Supplie
Depot at Lynchburg is in
danger if Burnside is permited
to advance on that place, but
a Short time will develop
what Lees intentions were,
but he did not dare attack
Mead in his position at Centerville.
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4
Lee always wants to be there
to Choose the Position he will
fight in, and seemes to be
unwilling to fight unless he
can do so. our army is in good
Spirets, and full confidence
in Gen Mead, the Conscripts
fought first rate in the
fights our Men had on
the Retreat. They got so earnest
fighting it is said that they
Shot some of the Rebes after
they had Surrendered themselfs
before they could stop them
as you say, two years of my 
time has expired. I have but
11 Months from to Morrow
to Serve and then I trust (if
God will) that I shall be with
my Friends in NH again.
I shall feel that I have done
my duty and be perfictly will
-ing to let others try it as long 
as I have, but I am Strong in
the faith that one year more
will just about wind up the
Rebelion, and as to Copperheadism
that has received its death Blow
in Ohio & Penn--at their last
Elections all honour to those Gall
-ent States, my health is first rate
and Spirets good. I have rec. some
Papers from you for which I feel very
much obliged to you for they afforded
me much Pleasure in reading them. I
am happy to hear that you continue to have
work a plenty, my love to Mother and all
x
Enqwiring Friends and God bless you all from your Affectionate Son
					T C Cheney