Warrenton Junction Va
		Friday May 8th /63

     The above pages were written a
few days ago. and although now old
I have no time to rewrite or remodel
them and I send them as they are
  We still remain here. and have been on
duty nearly every moment since coming
here. We were releived from picket duty
about 9 O,clock Tuesday night and
came to camp.. It had commenced
raining about 4 Oclock P.M. and rained
very hard until we were releived.
and I came into camp wet from
my Knees down. my Poncho had
protected the upper parts of my body.
We had no tents pitched in
camp except enough to accom
modate those who had remained
in camp.. and I crawled into

one with three others to try and.
sleep.. About 1 O'clock I woke
up again and found it raining
very hard and that the water on
the blanket beneath me was about
an inch deep.. Wasn't that comfort
able. I almost wished I was at
home then.. It rained all night and
most of next day.. We had brought
but two days rations of cracker, pork
coffee and sugar with us and by this
time they were getting pretty low..
    We had a ration of oats for our
horses in the morning but none
                                                   ed
at noon.. At 5 P M. I was detain^
with 22 men to go on picket again
It rained nearly half the night.
but. I was not obliged to be out
in it much. I spent that night
in a house the first one since
I was at home two months and
a half ago.. Several alarms
were given by the pickets that


    night but nothing came from
  any of them.. Yesterday afternoon
about 5 Oclock. L. Col. Litchfield
with Co. B and G. went out
after some oats as our horses had
not had a mouthful since Wednes
day morning. While a Lieut and ten
men were at the house where the oats
were 8 or ten “rebs” who had been in 
formed of their presence came back
of a piece of woods to get in their rear
and [illegible in original] them off as they came back
not knowing that they had any sup
port.. As they came around the corner
of the woods they came upon the Col
and 12 or 15 men and immediately fired
upon them. receiving a volley in an
swer upon which they fled.. No one 
of our men were hurt and it is
not positvely known that any of
them was. but one man was heard
to scream and act as though they
had been struck..

On hearing the firing the reserve
pickets were ordered out and went
up there. but as they had took to
the woods none of them could be found
and we came in without firing again.
It is rumored that a camp of two
or three thousand of them is within
a few miles of us. yet the rumor is
not widely credited. The greater
part of the camps are at the farm
houses in the country. as I beleive
that every man is a guerrilla farming
in the day time and prowling around 
at night.. We have heard good news
                                                             ed
from Hookers army he having defeat^
the rebels at every point. The last
report however is that his army is
again on this side of the Rappahan
nock. I hardly credit the report
and sincerely hope this is not
so. We heard very heavy firing in the
direction of Fredericksburg on Wednes
day morning. Some who have been in
many of the battles of last year say it
was the hardest firing they ever heard..
  We receive no mail this week
and are beginning to feel very 
lonesome. Write often
		As Ever yours
			Ed