Head Quarters  Cavalry Detachment
		1st Brigade  Harpers Ferry Va
				November 2nd 18[63?]

	Dear Mother
		         I recieved your very welcome
letter Saturday night and I improve the present
opportunity of answering it yours found me in
excelent health & spirits those boots suit me
first rate they are just my fit the socks came
good two I thank you sincrely for your kindness
in sending them I have been on picket three
times since I wrote you last yesterday the
Captain Choose me for his Clerk as I
am the best writer in the Co. (I guess
you think we are hard up for timber dont
you? well I think so to)
so I suppose I shall not have to stand
Picket as long as I stay here Capt Deane
Commands all the Cavalry of the 1st Brigade
or I was out Chopping the other day and
blistered my hands they are very tender it is
so long since I have done any work

it is some time since I received a
letter Edwin but he was well at last
accounts our boys are at work on stockades
for our tents to make win ter quarters
with we will be very comfortable this winter
I think
	I am more thank[for?] than ever that
I did not get taken prisoner at Charlestown
the other day when I read the accounts of
how our prisoners are treated in Richmond
I read an account yester day of one hundred
and eighty prisoners arriving at City point
having been paroled [and?] eight of them had
died of starvation on the road that is
horrible. but it is as much as can be
expected from the Southern Chivalry
men with such a “high sense of honor”
that as the Southern men were always said
to be ought to [show?] more respect to a
prisoner of War.
	I went to Frederick City Md
last week with some prisoners who had
deserted the Rebel Army and taken the
oath of Allegiance

after we got them to the City we
let them go where they wanted to
Frederick is a very nice town with about 
10,000 inhabitants
    I recieved a letter from Carrie Shirges
the other day the folks are all well in
Vassar but I must Close for this time
from your son Augustus B Holmes
Mrs A H Holmes  Co I Sixth Mich
		         Cavalry Harpers Ferry
		    the above is my Adress