Camp Dupont
	Near Munsons Hill
	Dec 19th/1861
Dear Brother
	I received yours
of the 15th inst and was glad to
hear from you and to hear
that you were all well.
	it is Noon and as we
have to go to Drilling at
2 OClock I shall not have
much time to write now.
We have to Drill a good
deal now a days. We are
improveing very fast now.
We could do better than
we do do, but we are Encamped
near a Regular Battery and
the Capt, he Commands all three Batterys, of that dont like
us, or appears like it, so
he seames to take every
opertunity that he can get
to keep us back we all
hate him, he dont like our
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Captain very well. There
is also a Rhode Island Battery
that is Camped just betwen
the Regulars and us, the
Capt. of the RI. Battery
is a mean Skunk, his 
men all hate him, he 
and the Capt
of the Regulars hitch
to gether first rate, and
they both appear to be
jealous of us as though
they thought or feared
that we should beat them
in Drill, and I think
we can, and we are not
afraid to try it. a Battery
from Pennsylvania came
in to Camp just below
us last Night, so that
makes four Batterys of us
right a long in row, and
there is a Regiment of
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Infantry Camped in the
rear of us. We come in
the Devision of Gen McDowell.
We had a Sham fight here
yestarday. it consisted of
McDowells Devision only.
it was a pretty good thing.
it gave us some idea of
how they do in Battle,
we fired faster than either
of the other Batterys,
we were the reserve
Battery so we did not come
in to the fight till towards
the last, so when we
did come in the rest
(except the Infantry that
Supported us) had nothing
else to do but to look
at and hear us boom
away. We went in to it 
I tell you.    There were
probably some Ten or Twelve
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Thousand Troops in whole.
	I believe that I told
you to get the N.Y. Illustrated
News, if you wanted to see 
a very good view of the
great Review it is a very
good view of it, the date
of the paper is Dec 9th,
if I did not tell you to
get one, you get one and
let me know it for if I
did not tell you to get
one before, I will give you
a discription of it, if I
was at home now prehaps I
could get Two Dollars a Day.
I would like that first rate,
but I want to see this
wicked Rebelion put down
first. I dont care how soon
we have a whack at them,
the Sooner the better.
We do not know when we Shall
be orderd forward, we hope
soon. I had a Letter from
Rachel the other day they were
all well. Father goes with
the 7th Regiment as Cook for
the Officers. They come this week
or next. The 5th Reg. is Camped about
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4 miles below us. my health is first rate,
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I must Close
Write often
Your Brother
T C Cheney