Stevensburg Virginia
	     February 6th 1864

     Dear Father..
		   Your Kind and
truly welcome letter of Jan 31st came
to hand this evening. and containing
a number of stamps with which to pay
the postage. I have concluded to make
use of the first one to send you an im
mediate answer. as I am already greatly
your debtor. for which no receipt has
been given. The box you sent me was
received on Sunday last. safe and sound
    It had either passed through honest
hands or was so strongly made as to defy
all resonable efforts to open it..
   Everything was in Apple pie order. and
while opening it I almost forgot where
I was and caught myself dreaming
of home and Father and Mother.

     I recognized the box before
I saw the name upon it: so strongly
is impressed upon my mind every
thing about home that I knew if Father
did not make that box some one
had most successfully counterfeited his
work. The contents too showed as plainly 
the work of Mother. Nobody ever made
such pies as those were but her I know.
  Am I mistaken or is this pail the
same I once used as a dinner pail
I'm not so certain as to that..
You can not imagine the difference 
between the apples you sent me and those
we get of Sutlers here.. One of our old
Michigan Apples. was all I wanted to
eat at a time. while I have eaten six
fully as large obtained from Sutlers that
did not do me half the good.
   The socks will, with the other two pairs
sent me some time ago last me as long
as I shall want to wear heavy woolen
ones and if able to keep them nearly

        all of next winter. The others have
     done excellent service and are quite
   good yet. and for nearly three months
I have worn no others. If you could send
me two more pairs of such. towards Spring
say a month from now. I should be very
glad. and they would last me all
summer. The papers come regularly
I have received since I wrote you last
   I have been very busy up to yesterday
in helping to get up the monthly papers
for January.. but if we remain here
shall have but little to do until near
the last of the month.
     The quiet of the Army was uncere
                        think
moniously and I ^ generally unexpectedly
broken between midnight and daylight
this morning by orders to the troops
to prepare to move at seven this mor
ning. We sent three days forage to
the regts and they also took three
days rations for the men. and our
division moved early this morning


and detachments of the different infant
ry corps have also gone. Cannonading
commenced about 10 or 11 O:K and and
continued till after sundown. One division
of infantry is said to have crossed the river.
None of the trains excepting ambulances
and one train of pontoons have as yet passed
near us. and our train has received no orders
to be prepared to move as yet. I need not
pass my opinion upon the movement as
yet you will have learned before this reaches
you the object and result of it.
   A man belonging to our regt has tried
twice within the past week to desert to the
enemy. He was released upon proofessing
repentance for the first trail but I think
he can not escape being shot now..
	I am glad to hear that Gen. Lee
has at last enlisted. I do not intend to
wish any one ill luck but I do think
there are a few more around there
who would do well to follow his example
   It has been raining nearly all day
and it seems to me almost an im
possibility to move far at present
	Hoping to hear from you
again soon I remain
	Your Devoted Son
		E R Havens