Warrenton Junction, Va.
December 17th, 1863
Dear Father:
Your letter of the 9th was received yesterday. If found me as well as usual. Everything here has been settled down into monotony again and in all probability will remain so during the Winter. The Guerillas trouble us considerable—making frequent dashes upon our outposts, capturing and often murdering the unwary soldier or officer who ventures out of sight of the camps. The Surgeon of the 83 Pa. Volunteers, was shot and killed by some of those land pirates within sight of the camp of his Regiment. A few days since near Catlett’s Station, a half dozen of these men dressed in our uniform rode up to Col. M. D. Hardin of the 12th P. R. C. who was riding along near the R. R. and shot him,—the pistol-ball taking effect in his arm making amputation necessary. These occurrences never will be stopped until we take to hanging or shooting these outlaws whenever caught. Their famishing wives and families come to our camps almost every day for the purpose of trading butter, chickens etc. for coffee and sugar, with the soldiers, and at night they saddle up their horses and dash upon our picquets and shoot them down like dogs, and they away they go. If I had the power, I would remove every male resident in this portion of the state between the ages of sixteen and fifty.
I have written regularly to you every week. I sent $10 to you on the 16th of November and as you have said nothing about it I fear it has been lost. Has it been received?
You say Ma wants to know if I want some shirts, drawers etc.—I do not stand in need of any—a crock of apple butter would be the most acceptable gift she could send but of course that cannot be forwarded. I have those two gray shirts she sent me by Jo Ross last winter but they have fulled up so that they choke me if buttoned at the top. They have been a good institution. I yet have one of those white blankets that she sent me while at “Pierpont”. The “P. V.” still stands out in bold relief in the center, though at the present time it is dimmer than it would be if it was well rubbed in soap and water. Since I entered the service I have never drawn a single pair of stockings from the Government. I have several pairs yet that I brought from home, though some of them are well darned. I don’t mean that the mechanical execution is at all stylish, but I used considerable yarn.
John B. Maitland is still acting as A. A. Genl. In the 2nd Brigade of Gregg’s Cavalry—he only ranks as 1st Lieut. In my last, to the boys I told them all I knew about the Rockland boys in the 4th Cavalry. I think of nothing more.
Yours affy. J. D. Chadwick
Next posting: December 24, 2013
Jonathan E. Helmreich
College Historian
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA 16335