Fairfax Station, Va, Dec. 27

Darling Wife,

I did not intend to write you tonight for I was in hopes to get a letter from you tomorrow but we have just received orders to be ready to march at a moment’s notice with three day’s rations in our haversacks. I have been getting the Co. ready and am now at leisure to write you a few lines, it being after ten o’clock at night. I have not found out where we are to go but I think we go toward Warrentown Junction or Catlett’s Station. Be that as it may you will probably know where we are before this reaches you if you read the papers.

We are in the

Fairfax Station, Va, Dec. 24

Dear loved Wife,

Here we are in the woods where we were when I wrote last. They have turned us out to browse and I don’t know but we are likely to stay here. The Capt. tells me he has written home for a box and he says he told his mother you might go halves. No you need not send anything very valuable, but you may send something to eat and the medicine. I spoke of two articles that would come very handy for we are short of provisions and there is a great deal of sickness here. The march and exposure consequently used up a good many men. I think I was very

Fairfax Station, Dec 21st

Dear Wife,

Today, which is Sunday, I take an opportunity to write you a letter. I wrote a little yesterday and sent it for I did not know then I should have a chance to write again so soon for everything is so uncertain that we don’t know five minutes beforehand what the next move will be. We are just as likely to start tomorrow for Harpers Ferry as any way. We left there for Dumfries to be in supporting distance of Burnside, but after his defeat (I can call it nothing else) we turned back and came to this place (which is about 30 miles south from Washington) and encamped in a fine woods.

You

Fairfax Station, Dec. 20th

Dear Wife,

We arrived here last Thursday about as destitute as a soldier need be for you can guess (if all we have is what we can carry on our backs) that we should not have much left after eight days marching in mud up to our knees. When we started I had two woolen blankets but after carrying them two days I was obliged to give away one in order to lighten my load but I am happy to be able to write you that I am well after what we have been through. We have lain on the ground every night since we left Loudon Valley, but I have slept comfortable every night but