Camp near Yorktown, VAApril 25th, 1862Friend Tucker,

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I will just answer your letter today as everything is quiet and no certainty when I shall have another chance of writing - things as you may well believe are quite different now from what they were when you left. We are here in the woods about 25 iles from Fortress Munroe and about five miles south from Yorktown on the Warwick Creek and not more than 150 rods from the creek. Our conveniences and accommodation are on a huge scale, officers are allowed to carry a small valise

in which are all their worldly goods, and when we move camp any great distance - that is 4 or 5 miles we have to remain two or three days without anything on account of the superior ability and energy of the Q. M. We are supposed to have two tents for the Line officers and we have got one and generally get this about the same time we do our other things so that if we happen to move in the rain which the boys say always happens it makes it agreeable.

Sunday 27th I had got thus far when the order or detail came for me to take charge of 33 men on fatigue and come to report to Brig. No. 2. I had to take charge of 200 men, and our business was to carry sand bags holding 3 pcks. sand each for protecting Embrasures. You have seen better accounts of the battle or skirmish of

Lees Mills in the papers than I should be able to give you. I with the Co. were ordered at the same time to move in another directing within about 30 rods of the Fortifications and fire upon them while the other Cos. were attempting to cross, so we had a fine opportunity of ascertaining the precise round or rather whistle of bullets, its a beautiful sound, but more agreeable some distance off - The boys were as cool as tho. shooting at Turkies at home. None were wounded in the Co. and most of those wounded were in Co. I and the two killed also - Capt. Atherton was not severly wounded and is going home on a leave of 30 days.

It is generally consider a blunder I think or at least looks so to us the uninitiated, but that statement of Morrels in the House that the General Comd (Smith) was drunk is a lie without doubt and two Gens. McClellan and Keyes were both here and approved or

as some say ordered it - anyway there has some good resulted from it, we know just where and about how strong they are which we could not find out before. There have been a good many changes since you left. For one I was made Captain just as we moved from Camp Griffin and Lt. Lillie was promoted and put in my Co. and John Curtis Tyler was made 2nd Lt in Co. E. that must have been a promotion. Now Capt. Gore has resigned on account of ill health and I suppose Pingree will be made Captain in that Co. - then there is the rumor that Hooker will be made Lt. in some Co. and Lt. Wheeler promoted to 1st Lt. in some other Co. but how it all came about I cant tell. Things in the Co. remain about the same - the boys are healthier than when in Camp Griffin - there are present in Camp about 65 men, all but two off duty at present. The boys mention you frequently, but take to the new order of things well. Setter has been in the Co. but little having been in command of Co. I for nearly four weeks - we expect to have some severe fighting, before we break thro. those works, but we are all bound for Richmond and shall go some way without doubt. I would like to hear from you occasionally, tho. I will not promise many in return for to write a letter is some work here. My regards to your wife and Almira.

Your friend,George