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 _________________________________ 2 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 ___________________________________ 3 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 ___________________________________ 4 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 weand it looks now as though it would Soon be over with, for the Rebeles are geting the worst of it every where ________________________________________ 5 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 _________________________________ 6 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 _________________________________ 7 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 __________________________________ 8 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