Year: 1863

d
House is some five miles further on. Being too
restless to remain idle l have dropped almost in
voluntary into my old habit of writing to you
without ever rejecting that nothing worthy oil
record has yet tranSpired. True, we have done
some pretty tall marching as we are apt to do
when the rebel army is behind us, though this
time we are not so sure whether our crafty fees
are in the front or rear.


When wrote last we were on picket, where
we had Jolly time, and was not relieved till last
Friday towards midnight. Aside frem the disa-
greeable necessity of being aroused from a com.
Portable sleep, those of us that were on the re-
serve we were not at all anxious to 60 back again
to camp. We rather enjoyed this picket, partly
because there were so many of US that each one
had but little to do, but chiefly because we liked
the novel society Of our neighbors over the riv-
er. They furnished us with the Richmond pa
pers every day, and sometimes brought over let
ters to be sent to their friends in the North
These letters were not sealed and our officers
were requested to inspect them, according to the
rules of war, that we might be sure of fair play
and that nothing contraband was contained in
them. We sent letters over there-those that
had friends in the South-which they promised
to forward them, and without doubt they will do
as they have agreed. OF course this intercourse
was contrary to orders, but SO long as we were
not caught in it by any one whom it might con-
Germ to enforce a penalty, we considered our
selves all right One fellow had letter that a
colonel wished him to get across and very likely
he had but few, if any, conscientious scruples in
the matter of breaking orders when his sins were
winked at and upheld by an officer of that rank.
One rebel sent letter to his parents in Connecti
cut. He said he would most gl2dly leave the
rebel army aud 60 home, but he had wife and
one child inside the rebel lines that he did not
wish to leave to the tender merces of such ene-
mics as would surround them if he deserted the
rebel cause Several fellows did swim across the
river and give themselves up. A rebel Lieut..
and 40 men gave themselves up on the other side
of the Rappahannock last Wednesday, Two
other fellows came down to the river to swim
across for the same purpose, but our picket this
side, through sheer timidity, refused them the
privilege. They went up the river and surren-
dered to the pickets on that side. Friday the
rebels maintained frigid silence. They we're
forbidden the least intercourse on account of these
desertons. No exchanges could be made unless
they were made very syy. They regretted the
prohibition as we'll as we, and probably more. If
the rank and file Of each army could have their
way they would soon manage some way to naugu-
rate peace. But the war is on our hands and it
must be fought out to the bitter end few
bad men have eonspred to destroy our Govern
meut and build another on its ruins, thus drawing
thousands of others into the vortex of rebellion,
and, for the iniquity of these comparatively few,
millions who have no personal feelings of animos-
ity, must meet in arms and in cold blood slay
each other. day of fearful retrbuton must
await those ere long, but while they live the mis-
chief goes on. Meantime let Satan look out for
his aurels.


Saturday night we received orders to pack up
and be ready to march. Just after dark tie Or
dor to march came. We had just been visited
by plentiful shower which gave us considerably
more rain than was absolutely necessary to lay
the dust. In fact in less than thirty minutes the
roads, which had been filled with fine dust, and
lay like heap Of ashes oil along the way, were