Warrenton Junction, Va., April 19-29, 1863

Kimball Pearsons, Warrenton Junction, Va., April 19-28, 1863

Location	Original Letter	Transcription
On the march to Warrenton April 19, 1863	KP2025.001.047	No 30 On the march 14 miles below Warrenton Va camped in the woods Sunday morn April 19th 1863 Dear Brother & Sister You are anxious to hear from your Brother Soldier & to relieve that anxiety I will drop a line. I am well & tough, never tougher. Joe had the Janders [jaundice] & did not come with us but he was around most of the time. There has a good many had it but they get over it in a little while & are now tough, so I think he will soon get smart. Gen Greggs Division together with Averills & Pleasonton’s divisions of Cavalry and some Artillery are here & I hear that Siegel’s [Sigel’s] Corps is close by to[o], but I have not seen any of them. We all left our camps Monday the 13th & marched 35 miles the first day. The next day we marched 14 or 15 miles & within a couple of miles of the river and throwed out pickets & a Squadron of the 1st Maine & crossed the river dismounted on a railroad bridge & drove a few rebs out of their rifle pits & put to flight about 200 reb. Cavalry. Our [hans?] fired 3 or 4 rounds with Carbines killed one & wounded two. We had none hurt on our side. About as soon as our boys got back the rebs came down with 3 pieces of Artillery & commenced shelling. Then 2 of our guns went down and played in upon them a little while, then fell back 3 or 4 miles from the river & camped in the woods. It commenced raining in the night & rained hard all the next day and most of the night but notwithstanding the rain we all marched down & cross but the river was swollen that we could not ford so we turned in for another night & have kept a turning in. About 4 P.M. the 16th I went with the others back 10 miles as guard for the mule train. Got back about 11 in the night. The storm had been so hard that our supply trains had not got up & we had to come back without much. We got a few boxes of hard tack and a few bags of oats & since then our horses have not had more than half feed of grain but the supply train is expected here to day. The grass is started so we bait our horses which is a great deal better than no feed. We have scoured the country for 10 or 15 miles around for forage, bushwhackers & horses but have only found a little corn. I went over 25 miles the 17th Scouting through the woods and across the lots but never saw a reb. I suppose we will lay here until our supplies come up & then cross. We are nearly opposite Culpeper C. H. which is some 10 or 12 miles across the river. Warrenton is 14 miles above here. If it had not been for the hard storm we had there would have been some fighting before this. It was so hard that small streams that were only knee deep to horses when he came down rose so that horses had to swim to carry back despatches [dispatches] & the Artillery & baggage wagon [torn paper] some places cut in so that [torn paper] axletrees dragged on the mud but it is now nice & pleasant & we will soon dry. We got a mail yesterday for the first since we left camp, but I got none. A good many of the boys got papers. I want you to keep sending occasionally, for reading matter is scarce here. Some Peach trees were in bloom the 13th. I have 2 blossoms that I’ll send which I picked the 16th. This is the first chance I’ve had to write since I left camp and now I am writing while my horse is out eating. ½ of the men go out & bait all the horses & the other half stay & guard the Saddles &c. May and Ida I have seen lots of posies in the woods for a few days past when I was riding along but could not stop to pick any. I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to write but I’ll write a letter as soon as I can. Yours Truly K. Pearsons Wm. & Harriett [sideways first page] I forgot to number the last letter I guess twas 29. [envelope] Mr. Wm H. Press Gowanda, Catt. Co. N.Y. Mr Wm H press [numerous scribbles] [envelope reverse] Mr Kimball Pearsons Co L 10th Regt NY Vol teer Cav Greggs Division Washington DC [sideways] May E Press
Warrenton Junction April 28, 1863	KP2025.001.048	No. 32 Warrenton Junction Va. April 28th 1863 Dear Brother & Sister I am this day an 8 months Soldier, well & tough as I ever was. I have been through what I never supposed I could endure without making me sick & have come out all right. Since we left camp there has been 3 very hard rain storms which has prevented our crossing the river, but I think we will soon be beyond the Rhappahannock [Rappahannock]. We are passing along the Alexandria & Orange (I guess) R.R. about 40 miles from Alexandria and 10 from Warrenton. This morning a train of cars came through loaded with Pontoons, going to Rhappahannock [Rappahannock] Station which looks like crossing whether it rains or not the next time we move. We are getting all the hay & grain now that our horses can eat but since we left camp our horses have been very short & we had to forage for them, but through here the grain was mostly used up last fall when the Army went down through here. I have had no letters from you since I wrote. No. 28 is the last I’ve got & No. 25 has not yet appeared. We have not had much mail since we left Camp Bayard & only 3 chances to send mail, but I have just been notified that the mail will go at 10 A.M. its 9 now so I think I will have to hurry up. We have not yet got our box but the Papers say that the Army is to be paid immediately up to the 1st of March which will be 4 months pay for me. May wrote that you had concluded not to sell any of the cows. If you don’t I shall try to get enough at pay day to pay Ross all up. Joseph is at Bell [Belle] Plains yet. He wrote to me that he was better & acting Commissary Seargent [Sargeant]. I think he will get well there & then be tough as other are since they have been sick. Another load of Pontoons just passed. I had to go a mile to water horses & I must close. K.P. [upside down first page] Tell Jonases folks that I will answer their letter sent to Joe & me as soon as I can.

Location

Original Letter

Transcription

On the march to Warrenton
April 19, 1863

KP2025.001.047

No 30
On the march 14 miles below
Warrenton Va camped in the woods
Sunday morn April 19th 1863
Dear Brother & Sister
You are anxious to hear from your Brother Soldier & to relieve that anxiety I will drop a line. I am well & tough, never tougher. Joe had the Janders [jaundice] & did not come with us but he was around most of the time. There has a good many had it but they get over it in a little while & are now tough, so I think he will soon get smart. Gen Greggs Division together with Averills & Pleasonton’s divisions of Cavalry and some Artillery are here & I hear that Siegel’s [Sigel’s] Corps is close by to[o], but I have not seen any of them. We all left our camps Monday the 13th & marched 35 miles the first day. The next day we marched 14 or 15 miles & within a couple of miles of the river and throwed out pickets & a Squadron of the 1st Maine & crossed the river dismounted on a railroad bridge & drove a few rebs out of their rifle pits & put to flight about 200 reb. Cavalry. Our [hans?] fired 3 or 4 rounds with Carbines killed one & wounded two. We had none hurt on our side. About as soon as our boys got back the rebs came down with 3 pieces of Artillery & commenced shelling. Then 2 of our guns went down and played in upon them a little while, then fell back 3 or 4 miles from the river & camped in the woods. It commenced raining in the night & rained hard all the next day and most of the night but notwithstanding the rain we all marched down & cross but the river was swollen that we could not ford so we turned in for another night & have kept a turning in. About 4 P.M. the 16th I went with the others back 10 miles as guard for the mule train. Got back about 11 in the night. The storm had been so hard that our supply trains had not got up & we had to come back without much. We got a few boxes of hard tack and a few bags of oats & since then our horses have not had more than half feed of grain but the supply train is expected here to day. The grass is started so we bait our horses which is a great deal better than no feed. We have scoured the country for 10 or 15 miles around for forage, bushwhackers & horses but have only found a little corn. I went over 25 miles the 17th Scouting through the woods and across the lots but never saw a reb. I suppose we will lay here until our supplies come up & then cross. We are nearly opposite Culpeper C. H. which is some 10 or 12 miles across the river. Warrenton is 14 miles above here. If it had not been for the hard storm we had there would have been some fighting before this. It was so hard that small streams that were only knee deep to horses when he came down rose so that horses had to swim to carry back despatches [dispatches] & the Artillery & baggage wagon [torn paper] some places cut in so that [torn paper] axletrees dragged on the mud but it is now nice & pleasant & we will soon dry. We got a mail yesterday for the first since we left camp, but I got none. A good many of the boys got papers. I want you to keep sending occasionally, for reading matter is scarce here. Some Peach trees were in bloom the 13th. I have 2 blossoms that I’ll send which I picked the 16th. This is the first chance I’ve had to write since I left camp and now I am writing while my horse is out eating. ½ of the men go out & bait all the horses & the other half stay & guard the Saddles &c. May and Ida I have seen lots of posies in the woods for a few days past when I was riding along but could not stop to pick any. I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to write but I’ll write a letter as soon as I can.
Yours Truly
K. Pearsons
Wm. & Harriett
[sideways first page] I forgot to number the last letter I guess twas 29.

[envelope]
Mr. Wm H. Press
Gowanda, Catt. Co.
N.Y.
Mr Wm H press
[numerous scribbles]

[envelope reverse]
Mr Kimball Pearsons
Co L 10th Regt
NY Vol teer Cav
Greggs Division
Washington DC
[sideways] May E Press

Warrenton Junction
April 28, 1863

KP2025.001.048

No. 32
Warrenton Junction Va. April 28th 1863
Dear Brother & Sister
I am this day an 8 months Soldier, well & tough as I ever was. I have been through what I never supposed I could endure without making me sick & have come out all right. Since we left camp there has been 3 very hard rain storms which has prevented our crossing the river, but I think we will soon be beyond the Rhappahannock [Rappahannock]. We are passing along the Alexandria & Orange (I guess) R.R. about 40 miles from Alexandria and 10 from Warrenton. This morning a train of cars came through loaded with Pontoons, going to Rhappahannock [Rappahannock] Station which looks like crossing whether it rains or not the next time we move. We are getting all the hay & grain now that our horses can eat but since we left camp our horses have been very short & we had to forage for them, but through here the grain was mostly used up last fall when the Army went down through here. I have had no letters from you since I wrote. No. 28 is the last I’ve got & No. 25 has not yet appeared. We have not had much mail since we left Camp Bayard & only 3 chances to send mail, but I have just been notified that the mail will go at 10 A.M. its 9 now so I think I will have to hurry up. We have not yet got our box but the Papers say that the Army is to be paid immediately up to the 1st of March which will be 4 months pay for me. May wrote that you had concluded not to sell any of the cows. If you don’t I shall try to get enough at pay day to pay Ross all up. Joseph is at Bell [Belle] Plains yet. He wrote to me that he was better & acting Commissary Seargent [Sargeant]. I think he will get well there & then be tough as other are since they have been sick. Another load of Pontoons just passed. I had to go a mile to water horses & I must close.
K.P.
[upside down first page] Tell Jonases folks that I will answer their letter sent to Joe & me as soon as I can.

Camp Bayard, April 12-14 Pearsons' home page Bealton Station, May 9, 1863