I rec a letter from
you last week & will write you
a few lines to night. It has been
raining today so that we could
not drill. I have written 4 letters
to day it is harder work than
drilling. Our rgt went out to Ed-
sell’s Hill again on picket last
Wednesday. There was about 3 in-
ches snow on the ground & it
rained hard all day. When

we got there we found that
the shanties the other rgts. had
used were lousey. So we went
into the woods close by & stocked
arms. The ground was covered
with snow & it was raining hard.
We had to go ¼ mile to the R.R. &
lug boards on our back to build
shanties then go ¼ mile further
to some haystacks & get some
hay to lay on then back again
to a cornfield & get some cornstalks
to cover the shanties. By this
time we were completely wet
thru & pretty cold. We soon had
some rousing fires going &
by night got into a comfortable
condition. Our Co did not stand
picket this time but kept
guard round the camp.
All I had to do during the 4
days we were there was to go
on guard 24 hours. All a sergeant

has to do I made the Corporals do
so I lived pretty easy. We had
rain Saturday & Sunday when
we came home. A scouting
party of 30 under Capt Barton
& Lieut. Cross went out Saturday
10 miles to beyond Burke’s
Station. They went to a man’s
house where 6 N.Y. boys were
trapped & taken prisoners some
time since & who makes [---?]
signals to the rebels. They
took him prisoner, took 10
of his cows, all his poultry
& other articles & brought them
into camp. When at this
house they were within ¼ mile
of the rebel pickets & one mile
of a whole rgt of them. The
pioneers are at work widen-
ing the road between here &
there. Some say that we are
to build a fort there. Don’t

know whether it is so or not.
I know nothing of what our fu-
ture movements will be.
I hope something will be done
soon. I am getting a little of out of
patience. But I suppose
Gen McClellan & the President
know best. I am not getting home-
sick in the least but I feel a little
anxious to see some rebels. I wish
we could have gone on an expe-
dition but perhaps we shall see
active service enough here be-
fore we get thru. We were paid
off last Tuesday. Got two months
pay, $34.00 this is father more
than I could have earned in
N.H. this winter I guess. My health
continues to be excellent have not
had a sick day yet. I am well
& contented two great things.
We have prayer meetings 3 times
a week in the Chaplain’s tent
they are quite interesting the tent
is always full. Quite a number
have been discharged & are being
sent home this week. I rec a letter
from Mother last Friday, wrote
to her today. It is roll call now
& I must close. Write soon.
Direct your letters to Alexandria Va
as I shall get them quicker.
Give my love to all