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LETTER WRITTEN TO RICHARDS SISTER HANNAH ON THE LAST THREE PAGES OF HIS DIARY WHEN HE SENT IT HOME ON MAY 9TH 1863.
IT IS TRANSCRIBED BELOW, AS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN
CAMP HAYS, CENTERVILLE, VA MAY 9TH
DEAR SISTER
I RECEIVE THE BOOK YOU SENT ME LAST TUESDAY AND I AM VERY MUCH PLEASED WITH IT BUT I HAVE BEEN VERY MUCH DISAPPOINTED IN NOT GETTING A LETTER FROM HOME. BEFORE THIS. MOST OF THE BOYS HAVE GOT AN ANSWER FROM THEIR MAIL BEFORE I HAVE HEARD A WORD FROM MINE. I CANT TELL WEATHER IT EVER REACHED HOME OR NOT. I WISH YOU WILL WRITE TO ME SOON. I WILL SEND THIS OLD BOOK HOME AND PUT ONE STAMP ON IT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY THE REMAINDER OF THE POSTAGE ON IT. I DON=T WANT YOU TO LET EVERYBODY SEE IT AND READ IT. I HAVE WROTE NEARLY ALL WITH A LEAD PENCIL AND RATHER POORLY AT THAT. I DON=T KNOW WEATHER YOU CAN READ IT OR NOT IT IS A LITTLE ACCOUNT I HAVE KEPT FROM THE TIME WE LEFT CAMP DOUGLAS UP TO THE PRESENT TIME. I SHALL WRITE MY OTHER ONE WITH INK. WE HAVE ORDERS TO BE READY TO MOVE THE 2ND TIME THIS WEEK AND HAD OUR RATIONS COOKED BUT WE HAVE NOT GONE YET. I AM WELL GIVE MY LOVE TO ALL THE FOLKS.
I REMAIN YOUR AFF BROTHER. RICHARD
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LETTER FROM RICHARD WARREN TO HIS MOTHER -
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ORIGINAL, AS WRITTEN.
IN CAMP CENTERVILL, VA. JAN. 9TH 1863
DEAR MOTHER
WE HAVE PITCHED OUR TENTS AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE THE FIRST OF JANUARY, WE LEFT CAMP VERMONT EARLY FRIDAY MORNING ON THE SECOND AND MARCHED TO ALEXANDRIA. THERE WE WAS PUT ABOARD A BAGGAGE TRAIN SOME IN THE CARS AND SOME ON TOP OF THEM AND THERE WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL ABOUT 6 O=CLOCK IN THE EVENING THEN WE GOT OUR BAGGAGE ALL LOADED ON AND STARTED FOR A PLACE CALLED UNION MILLS. EVERYTHING WENT OFF PLEASANT TILL WE ARRIVED AT FAIRFAX STATION THEN WE HAD TO THROW OUT A GUARD A HEAD OF THE TRAIN FOR FEAR OF A SMALL PARTY OF THE REBELS ATTACKING THE TRAIN. THE GUARD WAS TAKEN OUT OF CO. A AND OUR CO. WAS ORDERED TO LOAD OUR PIECES AND BE READY IN CASE OF AN ATTACK BUT WE HAD ONLY FIVE MILES TO GO AND WE SOON PASSED OVER THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY ALARM OF ANY KIND. WE ARRIVED THEIR ABOUT 11 O=CLOCK AT NIGHT. THEN WE WENT ABOUT A MILE NORTH OF THE RAILROAD AND MADE OUR CAMP FIRES SPREAD OUR BLANKETS AND SLEPT THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING WE GOT SOME HOT COFFEE THAT THE BOYS OF THE 126TH REGT. MADE FOR US AND IT RELISHED VERY GOOD FOR WE WAS ALL VERY COLD AND IT DONE US A GREAT DEAL OF GOOD. WE GOT OUR TENTS ABOUT NOON AND WE SOON PITCHED THEM AND GOT OUR STOVE AND SOME WOOD AND MADE OURSELVES VERRY COMFORTABLE. TODAY EDDY HAMLIN CAME OVER TO SEE US, THE BOY THAT WAS IN B.B.CLAPPS STORE LAST SPRING HE IS WELL AND LOOKING VERY HEALTHY BUT I MUST STOP AS THE DRUM IS BEATTING THE DRILL CALL.
SUNDAY JANUARY 11TH 1863
YESTERDAY I WAS ON CORPL OF THE GUARD SO THAT I COULD NOT FINNISH THIS ANY SOONER. ON MONDAY 2 COMPANYS OF OR REGT WAS DETAILED TO GO TO CENTERVILL TO SUPPORT A BATTERY OF 6 GUNS AND THE REST OF THE REGT MOVED THEIR TENTS IT WAS RATHER UNPLEASANT MOVEING FOR IT RAINED ALL DAY. WEDNESDAY OUR CO WAS HELD IN RESERVE FOR THE PICKET IN CASE THEY WAS ATTACKED WE COULD GO OUT AND SUPPORT THEM. ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK THAT NIGHT OUR REGT. RECEIVED ORDERS TO MOVE THE NEXT MORNING AT 6 O=CLOCK TO GO TO CENTERVILL ABOUT 5 MILES DISTANT. WELL WE WAS ALL UP AT 3 O=CLOCK THE NEXT MORNING AND EAT OUR BREAKFAST AND STRUCK OUR TENTS AT DAYLIGHT AND FINELY WAITED TILL ABOUT 10 O=CLOCK BEFORE WE GOT STARTED. WE THEN TRAVELED OVER A PORTION OF THE COUNTRY OCCUPIED BY THE REBELS LAST WINTER IT IS A VERY HILLY COUNTRY AND ON THE EDGE OF EVERY HILL THEY HAVE GOT LINES OF RIFLE PITTS AND ALL THROUGH THE ENTIRE ROUTE FOR MILES AROUND THERE IS NOTHING ELSE BUT RIFLE PITTS AND MASKED BATTERYS. THERE IS ONE PLACE IN THE WOODS THAT THEY HAVE THROWN UP A LINE OF RIFLE PITTS IN THE EDGE OF A THICK PIECE OF WOODS FOR ABOUT THREE MILES IN LENGTH AND 2 OR 3 MASKED BATTRYES ON THE SAME LINE AND IT IS THE SAME FOR 15 OR 20 MILES ON THE SAME LINE. I SHOULD THINK THAT THEIR WAS NOT LESS THAN 250,000 REBELS WINTERED AROUND THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY LAST WINTER.
AS WE ENTERD CENTERVILL I COUNTED 9 DIFFERENT FORTS THAT THE ENEMY HAD THROWN UP FOR THEIR DEFENCE. THE PEOPLE BLAMED MC CLELEN LAST WINTER FOR NOT MOVEING HIS ARMY AND ATTACKING BUT HE KNEW THEIR POSITION BETTER THAN THE NEWSPAPER THAT KEPT HARPING ABOUT A FOREWARD MOVEMENT. THE POSITION ALONE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE KEPT THREE TIMES THEIR NUMBER BACK WITHOUT ANY FORTIFICATIONS AT ALL, BUT AS THEY WERE FORTIFIED ONE OF THEIR MEN WAS AS GOOD AS FIVE OF OURS, WE ARE NOW OCCUPYING THE SAME GROUND THAT THE ENEMY HELD LAST WINTER.
(CONTINUED NEXT PAGE)
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