Camped at Falmouth Va May 4th/62
My Dear Brother
	Sunday and I will
improve the opertunity that I have
to write a few lines to you in
answer to your letter of the
27th which I received the 30th inst-.
I am very much obliged to you 
for those stamps. They enable 
me to write to you today.
I am happy to hear that you are all
well, and that you have work
all the time. I think Machinest
business must be very good now
in New England, by what I
hear. I suppose the Mills stop
on account of scarcety of Cotton.
Then you think of enlargeing
your house a little do you,
as you see by the heading 
of this letter, we have moved 
again since I wrote to you
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last. We are now Camped on
the North Side of the Rappahannook
River, oposit the City of Frederic
-ksburg. We are Canped on the
Bank of the River close to Fred-
ericksburg lower Ferry, our Guns
point right on to the Bridge
and across the River so as to
Protect it, and we are Stationed
here for that purpos. It is
the plesantest place to Camp
in that we have had since we
left Camp Dupont, it is a
Splended place I tell you.
Fredericksburg is not a very
large City, it is said to contain
some 6,000 Inhabitance, but its
location and privelages are
sufficient to enable enterpriseing
People to build a large City of
it. There is a water fall of
40 ft. and grand good privelages
to build Mills and Water
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enough, besides a good Chance 
to for Commers. The tide comes
up to the City, and the River
is large enough and Deep enough
to admit of quite a large Boat
to come up. I heard that the
Channel was 8 1/2 feet Deep.
There is a very good Dam
a cross the River now, and
a Canal dug and two or three
small Mills on it a Woolen
a Cotton and a Grist Mill, is
all that I have heard of 
yet. We have not been over
the other Side in to the
City yet, at the time our 
forces advanced on this place
which was, one week ago last 
Friday, the Rebeles ocupied
the City, and also this side of
the River, but when our 
Forces advanced on it, after a 
Short Skourmish with our Cavelry
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they fled across the River
and Burned all the Bridges,
(three of them), one Rail Road
Bridge and two foot Bridges, 
and also three large Steamers,
and a nomber of small Sailing
Craft the Remaines of the Boats
lye on this side of the River,
and we are useing the Wood
part to do our Cooking with,
a good use to put Secesh
Boats to aint it. The Rebeles
Burning the Bridges prevented
our forces from ocupieing the
City, till last Friday, May 2nd,
at that time our folks finished
the Bridge which we are Guarding
and which is built by placeing
a nomber of Barges near to gether
ending up the River and Planking
them over, it makes a nice Bridge.
We have only a Small Force over
to the City yet, and probably 
will not, till we get ready
to move again. When that will
be I can not tell, but hope
before long, for we want to
move on and have this thing
over with as soon as we 
and it looks now as though it would
Soon be over with, for the Rebeles
are geting the worst of it every where
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now, and I hope and think they
will continue to do so. I do not
know as there is any thing of
interest that transpires in Camp
that would interest you much.
We do not go away from Camp
any, so we get nothing new.
There is a monotiny in a Camp
life, where we do not March
we have some fun with the
Controbands occasionly. There
is any quantity of them running 
away now. I cut some buttons
Va. Buttons off of the Coat of
a Negro Friday as he was going
by our Camp, as he came over
the Bridge. I got three Buttons
and paid him 5 cts, he seemed
much pleased with the swap, 
he said the Buttons Belonged
to a Coat that his Master 
(who is a Capt. in the Rebel
Armey) used to weare, and after
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his Master had worn it most
out, he gave it to him (the Nig)
and he wore the Coat all out
and took the Buttons and put
on to his own Coat, and I
cut them off of that Coat.
So you See they are real Secesh
Buttons. I will send you one 
of them in this letter.
We have adopted one Contraband
in to our Company. We call 
him Bobby, he is a Black one
I tell you, and smart to. We
are seeing much the best
part of Va now that we have
seen. We saw some splended
Farmes while we were on the
March to this place from 
Catelett Station, the last place
that we stopped at any length 
of time. I think I would 
like liveing in or around
Fredericksburg very much, as
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to ocupation or something to
busy our selfs about to keep
out of idleness, as we do not
have very good chances to
whittle. We pitch quoaits
or Play Ball, or Something 
of that kind, so we manage to
pass the time very well.
When it raines we have to
stick to our Tents, and it
raines most of the time, or
has for the last three 
Months, but it has been very 
plesant for the three or
four last days. To day it very
plesant. I sit in one of our
Tents (made of our Tarpolians
that we use to cover our Guns)
in my Shirt Sleves with Cap
off, a Board on my knees my
Portfolio (that Christiana gave
me) on that a writing to you ,
and as I face Fredericksburg and
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can see the Green Fields of Grass
and Grain and Apple and Peach
Trees hanging full of blossoms, 
that Surround the City it looks
lovely I tell you and makes
me think of home, and those 
loved ones far away. May God 
bless them and Keep them,
but I must draw to a close. I
Rec. a letter from Rachel a few
days since. They were all well
and Clinton cutting his double
Teeth, which makes him worysom.
if you buy a pictorial very often
that has Scenes of the War in
it, or a map of it, I would like
to have you send it to me after 
you get through with it, for
we do not see any here very
often, it seems as though we
were out of the world almost
some times. We get so destatute
of news. Tell Hellen that I
will write to her as soon as 
I can. Tell Ella that I will 
come down to see her and Bring 
the whole Family when I get
home from the War, give my
love to Kitt, and Hellen and your
folks and every body. Write often and
direct the Same as you always have done
Good day. Your Brother  T C Cheney