Rappahannock Station va
		Friday Jan 22nd /64


     Friends at Home

	    I presume you
are wanting to hear from me as
it has been some time since I have
written to you. though I have not
recd a letter from home since I wrote you
last .  I am now on picket [?] at
least have just come in from the line
and have got to go back in a short
time   . the weather is fine over head but
quite muddy traveling and I have had
rather a hard time of it comeing in from
the Picket line, now is the time that boots
come handy ...  Just before I came in
       the
from ^ picket line, some citizens came in for
the purpose of procuring food.  there were 3
ladies 2 little f boys an 2 negros: people at
       North little know how much suffering the
residents of a county overrun by hostile
armies are made to endure  .  Think of 2 women
with their little boys about as large as 

Frank going 13 miles in a cold winter
wind with snow on the ground 4 inches deep
to get the means necessaries of life to keep them
and their remaining little ones from starvation
such a picture I have seen with my own
eyes no longer ago than the 13th of this month
one of those women was the wife of a
[?] miller by the name of [Crittenden?] (you
will perhaps remember some letters of mine
written while our Regt was laying there last
June) who lives 13 miles from here and
whose mill will not furnish enough provisions
to support his family, for the reason that
there is no grain in the country to be ground
to speak of and if anyone has grain to grind
they rather pay for grinding than give [1/10?] as is the
common rate,  In this country at the present
time the women have to do the business. for
every man in the country (and they are few) is
looked upon with distrust. and the same is
true in regard to the women but not so much
and you know a woman can do better in such
cases than men so they have all the business
to do  , and I do pity them when I see them
bending under their load of provisions. wending
their way slowly toward their homes. but
some will say they brought this suffering upon
themselves. they have no one to blame. true

but we must be kind to the erring if we
lif live up to the teachings of the Bible
		In my last letter I spoke
   of having a box sent if it would not be
too much trouble to you. if you send it I
would like to have you send me 2 or 3 quarts of
chestnuts if you can get them handy at some
of the groceries
		George [Bunt?] met with quite
   an accident a few days ago, he jumped over
a creek and when he struck his foot slipped
in such a manner as to cause a rupture on
his right side which will probably unfit
him for miletary service.  I should not be
surprised if he was transfered to the invalid
Corps before long, and he may get a discharge
	Harvey is well and is on picket
now   My health is good
	     I must close and go back
to my duty
		Write soon as convenient and
          oblige
		Yours truly
			         J H Wheeler
				Co 44th
To				    Regt N.Y.S.V.
      Friends at Home