Camped Near Germantown Nov. 5th 1863

My Dear Brother
		Yours of the 25th of Oct.
was rec. the 1st of this Month and happy
was I to hear from you and know that
you were all well. I am happy to hear
that business is so good and that Machiners
get such good. I would like to be there
to get  Pay myself if my time was
expired. I hope they will continue to
pay such good Wages after I get home.
I am also happy to hear that you have
got the 10 hour System in so many of
the Shops. I hope they will get it in
all of them, and in the Mills also--
Yes!!! it seemes that you did not get
Drafted this time, and I am glad of
it, and hope you will not the next for
one of us at a time is enough to be in
the Army. We had 26 Conscripts and
Substitutes join out Battery day before yestar
-day that makes us about 130 Men.
We probably shall get two more Guns
now soon. I am inclined to think that
Congress will abolish the $300.00 Clause
in the Conscript Bill, when they Meat
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next Month. Then every man will have
to come or furnish a Substitute. Then the
Army will be filled right up as it should
be. I am very much obliged to
Lydia for the Pepper. i used some of
it to day twice, on Baked Beanes. We
dug a hole in the Ground and Baked
them there. We had just as many as we
could Eat for Breakfast in our Detachment,
and some had a lot left for Dinner, but
I eat mine all up at Breakfast, , not much
was it. I swaped my two days Rations
of fresh Beaf for enough Beanes for
Dinner with one of the Boys. That was
nice pepper and just what I wanted,
for I was most out. it is a grand good
artical for a Soldier to have. The Gov.
begins to issue it to Soldiers now as
part of their Ratins, and it is a good
idea, but they do not give us as good
Pepper as that you sent me. Since you
wrote to me, Election has taken place
in NY & Wisconsin & Old Mass, and 
the Copper Heads are nowhere in those
States. Whiped clean out of Sight, sent
so far up Salt River they never will
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live to get back soon again. I hope we shall
never hear any more from the Vile
Traitors.  You ask me to give you a
discription of the late Battle, the one at
Bristo Station I suppose you mean. I can
not very well, for we were not in
it it was fought wholy by the Second
Army Corps. We belonged at that
time and had since the  Battle of
Chancllorsville, to the Reserve Artillery
Corps, but after we arived at Cent-
reville we were attached to the 3d Army
Corps and have continued with it
ever since. We are not atached to
any particular Brigade in the Corps,
but act as a sort of a reserve with
other Batterys for the 3d Corps. I
am unable to say whether we are to
remain with this Corps permanently or
not. You probably read a 
better account of that Battle than
I could possibly give you, but I can
tell you  this, the Rebes got much
the worst of it there, as in fact
they did in the whole move from
Culpepper. I saw 5 Cannon that
our Men took from the Rebes, and
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some 400 or 500 Men taken Prisoners. I
rec. a letter from Rachel a day or
two before I rec. yours stateing that
Emily had lost her little Boy. I am
very sory to hear it. God Sustain her
in her Affliction. it is a heavy blow
to her. it was a pretty Babe. You
see I head my letter Germantown. it
is (a place where there is but one
House) about half way between Warrenton
Junction and Bealton Station, on
the Orange and Alexandra R Road,
or where the Rail Road used to be
before the Rebes destroyed it. They done
their work compleat, in distroying it,
it was a tough looking sight I tell
you. You must write to Rachel. She
sais you do not write to her very often.
She and the Babys are all well. Tell Lydia
I am  much obliged to her for her
kind offer to send me some thing if I
will tell what I would like. I apprecia
-te the kindness of her Heart, and thank
her. I do not think of any thing just
now. I thank you for the two stamps
and will use them up in writing
to you in ans. to all letters you will
write to me. I have rec. several Papers
from you and Hellen, for which I am
very much obliged to you for there are
no signes of our going in to winter Quarters
at the Presant, but we probably shall have
to do so in the course of 6 or 8 weeks. my health
is first rate and Spirets good. My love to your Family
and to Hellen. Respects to all enqwiring Friends
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PS) Tell Ella!! that I will call and see her and
her little Brother Frank  when I get home
I would like to see them very much.
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Write me soon again. Good bless you all, from your
Affectionate Brother

				T. C. Cheney