Camp in the field near Bealton Va. Sunday eve,Sept 6th 1863My good darling wife,

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We are making up now for not getting our mail more regular while on the march for we are getting a mail now every day Sundays and all, and the mail that came in this evening brought me your welcome letter of the 1st & 2nd inst. Oh! you good angel, how much good it would have done me to be with you to day, and to hold you in my lap and caress you when you were sick. I am glad you are better, you must take good care of mother, and not let her get sick. You will have a good visit with Capt Ed. when you see him. how glad his mother must have been to see him home once more. Tell Father to look out about the Barn up to our House, and get it moved in time. I see by the papers that there is quite a number of "Copperheads" in Vt. more than I thought for. what on earth they can be thinking

of is more than I can see. They will see their error sometime. I believe Mr. Wells will make a good representative, if he does not get excited too often. it must make him feel pretty good for he has been fishing for it, for a long time. I have not heard yet who run against him. Something must be wrong at "Head Quarters" for I was not detailed "Officer of the day" to day. Tomorrow we expect there will be a grand review of the whole "Corps" by Genl. French. We have got up a "Regimental Band" in the Regt. and are having some grand "Dress parades" now all the "big bugs" come out to see us and we get praised up awfully, as the best regiment in the "third corps". This morning we were inspected by Genl. Morris, and he said he never saw a finer regiment. all this makes me proud for I have had command of the regiment so long that it is more my regt. than Col Jewetts. There is no war news here now at all. I never saw it so dry. we cannot hear any thing

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We hear plenty of rumors however, and the last one is that Genl. Sickles is going to take command of us and all hands go to Texas, but I dont believe a word of it. Another rumor is that Genl. French is going to take out what troops he brought in to the "third Corps" and go back to "Harpers Ferry" I hope this last is time, for I am sick of this big army of the Potomac. It is alltogether to large a concern. It is hard work to get a leave of absence here while if we were back at Washington or Harpers Ferry it would be easier. but the only way is to "Grin and bear" whatever comes, and do our duty faithfully. I will write you again tomorrow night if we have the "grand review" and tell you all about it. I write so often now, that unless something "happens" I got out of writing matter, so you must not expect the letters to be very long. "Short and sweet"- you must write often too if you only say "we are all well".

As ever yours William