Ransom W. Towle to Rufus and Sebra Towle
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We shipped from Alexandria on the 23rd laid on board till next morning. Came down
to Fortress Monroe where we arrived at ten P.M. Next morning we landed at
Hampton or what was Hampton before it was burned by the Rebels. We then went
three miles up the James River and camped two nights Day before yesterday we
went with a force of forty thousand fifteen miles up the James River driving in
the Rebel Pickets near Warwick, who retreated in force burning a Bridge over a
Creek to stop our progress
Yesterday we came back to this Camp we
are now seven miles from Fortress Monroe and two from Newport News. for the last
week we have known what it is to be hungry Day before yesterday we got nothing
This is owing to the inefficiency of our Qr. Master and not that there was any
necessity for our going hungry. There is not much chance for us to learn much of
the Country or what is going on but there seems to be a concentration of troops
here probably for an advance into Virginia This may take place in two hours or
two weeks or months But there is to be a General advance soon and then there
will be some sharp fighting or some tall backing down
Coming down
the Bay we passed Several Gun boats one regular Man of War of twenty six Guns
She was a black saucy looking fellow We came by the renowned Monitor on the way
which the Rebels very accurately describe when they [say] She
looked like a raft with a Cheese Box on her There is nothing to be seen above
the Raft but a cone in the Center Fortress Monroe is a Saucy looking Fort with
her three hundred Guns looking suggestively out at you but the old Union Gun
Caps the whole which with the big Floyd guns are mounted right on the Beach One
on looking at them cannot help [but] think of the Ruin
They would cause fired into an Army of Men They would almost batter
down [Priam] In our last tramp we passed two Rebel Cannon of
wood mounted on common cart wheels but more hereafter
in haste
Direct as usualRansom