Camp 1st NH. Battery
Near Stevensburg Va. Apr 28th/64
Dear Sister
Your kind letter
of the 24th was rec. yestarday
and with much pleasure.
I did not know for a cirtainty
before that you were in NY.
you did not say that you
were Boarding at Mrs Edmonds
but I take it for granted
that you are. Rachel wrote
me that you were homesick
and would like to go to M.
but she did not tell me that
you were in NY. but I had
a letter from David Gilchrist
stating that you were there.
but I hardly knew whether
it could be so or not, for I
had heard from you but a
short time; then you were in
Cincinnati. I am very glad
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that you had such a good oper
-tunity to See and be with
Charlie, at Annapolis. It must
of been very agreable to both
of you especily as Charlie had
such an excelent opertunity
to spend most of his time
with you. You say they were
ordered off you did not
tell me where. I would
of liked to known, for if they
come to this Army (as is separ-
ated) I should of tried to of
gone and seen Charlie. I see
in the NY Herald of Tuesday
that the 9th Army Corps (to
Which Charlies Reg. belongs) passed
through Washington Monday PM.
If that is so, I think they are com
-eing to this Army. When they
get here and the 3d & 4th NH
Regs. which are now on Arlington
Hights and are expected here any
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day, we shall have a lot of
NH Troops in this Army. We
(our Battery) is now the only comple
-te organisation in this Army
from NH. if Charlie comes
here I shall try and find him
sure, as I said once before, if
we do not meet here I hope we
shall in and before
the Middle of June too, and
things look now as though the
union Army might be in there
by that time. Gen. Grant is
takeing the right course to do
it I think. The Head of the
Rebelion is in Va., but the Head
off and it will be an easy
matter to lop off the Monsters
limbes, and Grant is concentrate-
ing a large force here to strike
of the Monsters Head ths Summer
if possible. I was truly rejoiced
to hear that Grand gets that
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Sword that was voted for at
the bored, is .
McClellaan . I am happy
to hear that Davie Paiges wife
is better. I hope she will get
entirly well, as to my geting
any thing or rec. any benefit
from the Sanitary bored I
never did and neve expect to
unless i am Sick or wounded
and I cirtainly do not desire
these benefits enough to be in
such a condition as the above.
These Associations are organised
princaply for the benefit of
Sick and wounded Soldiers. I
rec. the Paper Kittie sent me the
same day I rec. your letter. I
am very much obliged to her for
it. Give her my love and tell
her to write to me soon. my
health is first rate and Spirets
good. in a little over 4 Month
more and the if the Lord
will I shall get through Soldi
-ering for uncle Sam for the
Presant. Time flyes dont it will
fly faster when we get to Camp
-aigning it. We are expecting
orders at most any hower now
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to pack up and March. We
are ready at any time now
and do not care how soon it
comes, as long as come it must.
I would like to enter Richmond
with the Victorious Army of
the Potomac before my time
expires. I had a letter from
Rachel Sunday stating that
her Brother belonging to the
9th NH Reg which was at
Annapolis (belonging to the 9th Army
Corps) was Dead. he died at Anna
-polis. His wife got word first
that he was very Sick and
she started for that place,
soon after She started a Telegraph
Dispatch was rec. that he was
Dead, so she will find him
passed away when She arrives
there. Poor Woman She is to be
pittyed, but She is not alone
in her Widdohood caused by this
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wicked uncalled for Rebelion.
As you see by the heading
of my letter we have moved
Camp. When the 3d Corps
was broken up which you
probably already know of) we
were attached to the 2nd Army
Corps, and as soon as the weather
would permit we had to
move to this Place (near Stevensburg)
where the 2nd Corps Art. was
and some 3 or 4 Miles from
our Old Camp. We did not like
to move from our good Quarters
just now but we had to come
to it. The weather has not
been very bad thus far since
we moved, and it is to late to
have much bad weather now
so I guess we shall get along
pretty well. We are Camped
in a very plesant place.
We are on a hill, and can
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see for Miles around us. in
the distance with their peaks
reaching up to the very heavens
(as it were) are the Blue Ridge
Mts. between there and us some
5 Miles distant is the little
Village of Culpepper, once
apparently a pretty little Villa
-ge but now fast going to
decay. At the left of the Vilage
and nearer us is Paney Mt.
on which we have a Signal
Station and from the top
of which we can See across
the Rapidan in to Rebeland.
around us in all directions for
Miles can be seen the enuberal Camps
of the Army of the Potomac
which gives the hills and Valleys
around us the appearance of a
vast City. it is a Sight that would
well pay you to go many a mile
to witness if you could but witness
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it. I witnessed a Solemn Sight
near our Camp last week. a
Soldier was hung. it was the
first time I ever see a person hung,
and I have no particular desire
to see a nother hung. His Crime
was Deserting his Post and comm
-iting Rape on an old Lady from
60 to 70 years old. The Punishme
-nt was non to severe, but whisky
was the Cause of his doing the
deed and the Man that sold him
the whisky Should of been hung
with him. When you write
to Charlie again tell him to
write to me so that I can know
where he is. Uncle Samuel
has not been heard from since
the Battle fought in Florida,
a Month or two a go. They fear
he was killed but it is possible he
was taken Prisoner. I think of
no other news to write at this
My respects to Mr & Mrs Edmunds.
Give my love to Charlie accept
love for yourself from your
Affectionate Brother
T C Cheney.