Camp Jewett Monocacy Md Dec 31st 1862 My Dear one

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I have just received your precious letter of the 21st and second, and am very much relieved to find that my darling pets were alive then. I believe they will get over it with all the kind care they will have. If it was not for “Fitts” I should not borrow trouble about them. But if God wants them, He will take them, and He knows much better then we, what is for the best. Still it does seem as though it would be most to bad to afflict us any more now. But darling one I do not get much time these days to borrow trouble about home. Last night I was called up twice by orderies to read dispatches that the Enemy were only five miles away, and you may rest assured that after telling my “Picket guard” to be more on the alert, I laid down to rest, but not to sleep, for I find such dispatches do not promote sleep. To day I have been making preparations all day to give them a warm reception, should they attempt to cross at this ford. I may not see them at all, but there is a good probability that I may see them before morning. I shall do my duty as a soldier and. a “Green Mountain boy” if they give me

a fair chance. I cannot say anything new about going home soon, but have not give it up yet by any means. We have just heard this evening that the Enemy have taken a lot of Prisoners at Fairfax, we expect that some of them must be Vermonters as they were there the last we heard of them. All this news about them being over the river in force may be false, and we having all our scare for nothing, but a very few days will settle the question. We thought when we first came here that we were going to have a nice easy time, but it seems we are going to be disapointed. I expected to get four letters certain to night when the mail came in, but darling only one of yours came. My other correspondents do not seem to care much about me. Sarah has been talking for a long time about writing me, but no letter comes. I have just learned that the mail does not go out again until day after tomorrow so I will wait for a little while and see how things look then. This is a dark rainy night - how I pity the poor soldiers that have to stand out all this long rainy night on guard. Oh! when will this civil war be over? Jany 1st, 1863 Happy New Year!! All is well this morning. The Rebs have not shown themselves for the last 24 hours -

All well ¬ As Ever William