January 17th, 1863

Fairfax Station, VA, Jan 17th 1863

Dear Wife,

I received a letter from you last night which I read with pleasure and I hope with profit. The moral lesson you gave me I will try and remember, I always thought your standard of a man too high for poor fallen humanity and I think perhaps if you look over your past life you may find that you have deceived in matters of as much consequence as a few paltry dollars but enough of this. I fully confess my guilt (and did so I thought in my letter and asked pardon).¹

I am glad to hear that you have got some of my letters, I began to feel anxious about them. I hope you will get the one with the check in though I shan’t know if you [do] in some time for we have got to move tomorrow morning at six o’clock.² Our destination unknown to us but we think we go by way of Washington, perhaps to North Carolina. I am glad to get out of this place for sickness has increased, since we came here this Regt. has been considerably reduced, since we came out I presume 60 or 70 men have deserted and a like number have been discharged but still it is a fine Regt., I think the best I have seen since we came out, but it is not near as good as it was when we left Maryland Heights, then I believe it was the best Regt. in the field but it has seen hard times since then.

As soon as I get an opportunity I will write you where I am but you must not expect it too quick for it may be we shall go where there are no mail facilities. I am feeling pretty well now though I have had a sore throat a few days back but it is better now.

Brainard is not very well and I don’t think will go with us, Willis has a lame back but I guess he will go with us, the rest of the Mount Carmel boys are well, Mr. Paddock is well also. I have not seen Beckwith in three weeks he was sent to the hospital at Alexandria with the Inflammatory Rheumatism³. You must keep writing me as often as you can, direct as you have unless you see by the papers where we have gone. Now dear wife, goodnight, may God bless and protect you and my child,

C. A. Burleigh