Monday Eve Oct 20th 1862
Camp Near Maryland hights
Dear Wife
I have just received your letter was glad to hear from you but you nor [Lib] nor even Georgia did not say whether you was well or not so I shall take it for granted that you are all well as for me I am well have a slight cold however it has been a very cool day here to day, yes cold I stood guard yesterday and last night it come up showery just before night and cleared away againe it come off very cold and blustering so it was rather disagreeable standing out before morning, I am all alone in my tent now and shall have to stay and sleep alone to night for my tent mates are on guard to night they are H D and Fred Chapman, I think it will be rather cool in my habitation before morning I should like a good thick comfortable to pull over me these cold night but suppose I shall have to go without it, they say we are going to make this place our winter quarters they have commenced to day to cut timber for log shanties for us to stay in and got one put up so we may have things a little more to our comfort by and by if we are not called away into battle our troops some of them are having skirmishes every day or two with the rebbels near by here our ears have been saluted sevrel days in the past week with the heavy roar of cannon but a few miles distant last Thursday they had quite a smart brush together the Federals drove the rebs hilter skilter in every direction on past Charlestown a town about eight miles from Harpers Ferry at the last accounts our folks had the quiet possession of that place our company went up onto the mountain called Maryland Hights Friday morning and stayed untill Saturday afternoon on picket duty I could see down into the valley on the west side of the mountain whare thay had the fight the day before it is a butiful looking place in that valley the valley is a number of miles wide, at the west side of this valley at or near the foot of another mountain you can see the rebbels camps I saw on the mountain whare I went as picket guard I saw a good many graves whare they was buried after the battle there saw one with a mans hand out of the ground I also saw a mans hand kicking about on the ground that had been burn it was the left hand, whilst I have been writing this there has been quite a fire in camp one of the tents on the oposite side of the street from my tent belonging to Company [C], took fire and was burnt to the ground it made quite a stir for a few moments thee was one man in the tent at the time it took fire fast asleep they pulled him out by the heels mighty quick, it is now Tuesday in the afternoon and the wind blows like sixty from the south it was thunderin cold last night, Good morning once more it has got to be Wednesday I do not see as I shall ever finish this letter for they have just called for water I am one of the [?] guard to day you will see that I am not my own nigger here but some bodys els darkey we have drew this morning twenty extra rounds of catriges making in all sixty rounds thats looks a little as though we might have to move before long but shall have to waite to see about that my finders are so cold I cant write anyhow, I received a letter last night from Mother Brainard I should like to have you send me half a dozen postage stamps in the next letter you write to me, you must take good care of yourself and keep your nose clean my love to you and all of the children I have not got time nor roome to write to all of them seperately this time but they must remember and be good children from Your Husband & Father A.C. Smith
Copyright © 2009 Bruce E. Leandro. All rights reserved.