1862 December 22 Belle Plain, Va.

Camp opposite Fredericksburg
Dec 22nd 1862
Dear Sister Helen,
I have just received
your letter of 18th but had been looking
for it for a day or two, we have our
mails regular now but for the week that
we were fighting all mails were stopped
both ways and perhaps that is the –
reason that Mrs Catlin & Pratt have not
heard from William and Aaron for
they say that they have written most
every week. they are both well with
the exception of colds which most all
the boys have got and which can’t be
helped as they have nothing but shelter
tents to protect them from the cold,

the weather is pretty cold now but we
have had no snow yet. Every thing
is quiet in Camp and I guess we shall
go into winter quarters some where
soon as wood is getting very scarce
and there is very little water here – will
probably move back towards Aquia –
Creek into the woods and build log
huts and mud chembleys.[sic] I have very
comfortable quarters. I sleep in the
Col’s tent where we have a nice fire
and don’t have any thing to do all
day long but sit around and do
some little errand once in a while
Irish John cuts all the wood brings
all the water and blacks the boots
of the crowd The Staff Officers have
a “Mess” and I eat at the 2nd table
and we have very good feed but
all along on the march down here
and while in and about Fredericksburg
until now I had nothing to eat except

raw salt pork and hard tack, so that
my stomach got so sensitive that
I could keep it down no longer
but we fare very well now.
I wonder what is going
to become of this country.. the rebels
seem to be whipping us all around,
Seward and our Generals are resigning
and things look rather bilious to me
but we will hope for the best but
the boys are rather blue and dis-
couraged and all “want to go home”
hope Congress will fix the thing up
in some way before spring..
Mr Ives arrived here day before
yesterday – had a good deal of trouble
in getting further than Washington
but finally got a pass he brought my
boots safely but it must have been
a sore job for him to carry so much
hide so far.. they are rather large every
way but will answer very well if I

have my health and strength to carry
them around am very thankful to
get them for they are a scarce article
down here.. D.Hilaller [?] is going to
Washington to night to get some things
for the Regt and will get my boxes
but they would have reached here pretty
soon any way as there is an Express to –
Aquia and our wagons go there most
every day – my Thanksgiving dinner will
be in nice condition I guess but the other
things will be all right I guess..
John Ives said that there were some other
things on the rode for me – what are they?
and when did you send them? William
Pratt was here yesterday in camp he looks
quite well but limps some yet..
The boys are all well I believe except
Eugene he is sick in the hospital has
got the lung fever I am very anxious
about him as there are so few con-

[The last part of this letter is written on the top margin on page one.]
-veniences here for the
sick, he is pretty sick
but I hope he will be
better soon..
“Things is quiet”
here don’t expect
more fighting soon
am in no hurry for
another..
I shall write
home often now
and shall expect
letters frequently
Tell Chas to write
and also to send
some papers
Your loving brother
Jim

James Howard,  15th Connecticut Infantry

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS  12668

1862 December 22 near Nashville

[from the diary of Captain William F. Hunter, Co. B., 97th Ohio]

                      
Dec. 22nd, ’62.
Clear & warm.
Taylor, who was last       
night notified of the
acceptance of his re-
signation, started,
this morning, home.

2nd Lt. George K. Taylor, Co. B.

transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards

MSS 10547-bm

1862 December 22 Fort Tillinghast

        Fort Tillinghast  Decr 22d/62
                                    2 oclk PM
Dear Wife,
                    We have had quite a little
excitement for the last day or two,  One
other company of our regiment has
been ordered to Harpers Ferry, to do
garrison duty, We expected it would
be Company M, that would be sent there,
but Company m is still at Tillinghast
and Company B has gone to Harpers
Ferry, they went this afternoon,  they
did’nt want to go, as they were fixed
up in good, comfortable, winter quarters,
five or six of the men had there wives
with them at Fort Craig, Col Wright told
them they had better leave their wives
at Fort Craig, and not take them along
with them now, and in a week or so
send for them after they got settled at
Harpers Ferry, They took his advice,  Some
of our company wanted to go,others did
not, For my own part, I did not care

[page 2]
much whether we went or not, We
are very comfortably situated here,
and have got things fixed up in very good
shape, if we had gone, it would have
been something to have changed the
monotony of every day life of the soldier
doing garrison duty,  We had quite a camp
yarn here last week, I was that the
rebel Gen lee, said he was coming here
to drive us off of his estate, (the Arlington
Place) I dont know that I ever told you
that Fort Tillinghast is on the estate
of Gen lee, and not more than three
or four hundred rods from his residence
the Arlington House, it is beatifully situated
not far from the Potomac river, and
overlooks, Washington, Georgetown, and the
surrounding country, I think he was
a devilish fool to join the rebel army,
and leave such a beautifull place,
I guess he will be smart, however, when he
drives us off.  I guess he wont try not quite yet.

[page 3]
                                     Mon eve 6 o’clk
   I have just received the box, all
in good order, The boots I am very much
pleased with, they are just what I wanted,
they are a little long for my foot, but that is
a very good fault here, I could’nt have suited
myself better, had I picked them out myself.
I am, tell your father, very much obliged
(to say the least) to him for the trouble
and labour that he has been at, in procuring
them for me, I will endeavour to repay
him at some future time, The Doughnuts
were very nice and acceptable,  The Pears
were very nice, and quite a treat, The Pepper
and Ginger was very acceptable, just what
I want, we cant get any that is good here,
in short every thing in the box, was very acc-
eptable, I also received by mail, a letter dated
Dec 1q4th, it is the one, that tells me of
Diasy’s sickness  Tell Ernie that I am
very glad that he was a good the day you
wrote to me,and that I hope he will always
be good,m then I shall always love him, tell
him, that when I come home,I shall ask him

[page 4]
if he has been a good boy, and if he has, I
will love him a “whole heartfull”
You ask me if there is any probability of this
new commotion disturbing us, I answer, No
We shall never be sent away from these fort-
ifications, again, at least we all think so and
it is the general opinion, all around.
I strongly suspect that you gave your letter of
the 14th Dec. to Wm to mail for you, and that he
kept it in his pocket a number of days, as the
envelope was stamped, Boston Decr 19th it contained 3 stamps
Please let me know how much the boots cost,
also let me know if you received my last
letter, marked Soldier’s Letter, there are
a great many letters sent in that way, I thought
I would try one, as I had no stamps.
They say we are to be paid off the day after
tomorrow–I dont believe it yet, I must
say one more word about the boots, Everybody
that sees them,says, “them’s the best boots I’ve
seen out here yet,” thanks to your Father,
Some of our boys went out to-day and killed two
Possums, I have bot the skins streched on a board
to dry, they are very pretty, and will do to trim some-
thing for Ernie, they are about the size of a very
large cat, the color is a sort of grey and white
I will send them home when I have a chance,
Take good care of yourself dear wife and
ever believe me yours in love
                                                     Robert

Robert P. Mansfield, Co. M., 1st Massachusetts. Heavy Artillery

MSS 1242

1862 December 22 [Morris?] Mount on the Rappahannock

                                      [Morris?] Mount  on the
                            Rappahannock Dec 22nd 1862

Dear Aunt
          Your letter by the hands of Mr Dorrier reached
me yesterday  I am truly sorry to hear of Sallies illness
and hope she may soon recover,  I have been so
closely confined for the past month  I have not
been able to see any of my acquaintances in this
neighbourhood consequently have not seen
John L and have only heard from him
through the papers. I believe he is quite well.
I am still, with my two pieces, vapouring along
the Banks of this the crookedest of streams, (as
I have been for the last month) seeking some
villainous Gun Boat to devour, I am now
on the farm of Mr Cpoulter, who is in the Army
having taken his family off.  I am now occu-
pying his dwelling and have very comfor
table quarters, but I doubt whether it will
d me any good as I may move at any
moment, and have to fall back to my old
Tent.  Every thing is perfectly quiet in this
neighbourhood. No Boats, No Yanks, we occa
sionally get sight of a Picket, which is the
only thing to disturb the quiet of the scene.
On the opposite bank of the river, Mr Burnside
I think like all of his predecessors, has run
his race, and will now retire to private life
to curse the rebels & ruminate on the  roughness
of the road non his march on to Richmond
We are making every preparation to give
his successor a most hostile reception if
he should again attempt the crossing of

[page 2]
the Rappahannock, entrenching and fortifying
the hills from Fredericksburg to Port Royall
a distance of about 15 miles.
   You have had through the papers full
particulars of the fight I can give you
nothing much as they are source through which
I get most  most[sic] of my information.  One of
their Pickets crossed the river the other day
to have a little social chat with some
of our boys, he acknowledged it to be the
most thorough defeat of the War.  After
exchanging some Sugar & Coffee for Tobacco
he returned to his post on the opposite
side of the river.  I wrote you a short
note by Archer the other day, hope he has
reached home safely, tell him to be certain
to him himself and hurry back as
I am much in want of his services.
  I regret I cannot be able to spend a few
days with you this Christmas.  I expect to have
a very dull time of it here, as I can see no
prospect for a [spree?] as yet, I cannot tell when
I will be in a place where I can get the box
you desire to send. Can only thank you for your
kind intentions & imagine myself I have
everything you desire to have as set down
to my  Beef & bread  I wrote Miss W. a letter
by A. Tell her I am still improving, but do not
expect to marry before spring. Mr Dorrier gave
me full particulars of Miss Jennies marriage &
trip to Richmond.  Will write to her although
she did not write me as she promised
Love to all  Yours most truly  Dick

Charles Richard Phelps of the Beauregard Rifles

MSS 2920

1862 December 22 across from Fredericksburg

[from the diary of the Rev. Francis E. Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]

Mon. 22 – little warmer – In hos. & writing letters for sick, &c. Powell
died of gun shot in side. Sd. 60 – 13 in G. Mortars have arrived. Pickets
ordered 5 days rations. [-] Eng – Margesin Co. E died of pneumonia –
buried Powell.

Butler may have been referring to the 12-inch Model 1861 seacoast mortar.  So heavy they had to be transported by train, they were generally used in coastal fortifications though a famous one nicknamed “The dictator” was employed in the siege of Petersburg, in 1864

[transcribed by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935

1862 December 22-23 [Clarke County, Va.]

[from the diary of Matthella Page Harrison as transcribed at a later date]

Tuesday, December 22nd–The gentlemen left today.  It is reported 150 cavalry are in Winchester.

Wednesday, December 23rd–Yankee infantry entered Winchester today, it is said.  White with his cavalry has captured a large portion of Milroy’s train and several hundred prisoners.

MSS 9759

1862 December 22-24 Campbell County, Va.

[from the diary of George W. Dabney, a clerk of Campbell County]

       22d Monday
Clear & cold  20″  38″
W. Wd off, wrote little Lizzie
getting rails & wood.

        23d Tuesday
Clear & cool  36″ 48″
Clothes finished & gloves
Wd & neph to Hughes &c

       24  Wedn.
Clear & pleasant  50″
to Ro Johnsons–
Lias to town with cart
covered turnips

MSS 3315

1862 December 22 Chapel Hill, N.C.

[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]

Monday  have been busy all day making pantelets for Eliza—the weather
has moderated–No mail again–The Post Master says there has been
none for 4 days-Sarah has sent a Hack to meet her mother at
the Coalfields depot & bring her home on Wednesday–

MSS 6960