1862 March 26

Hampton, Va. Mar. 26th/62
Dear parents
I sit down
to write you a few lines to let
you know that I am well and
away down south in dixie. the last
time I wrote we had just returned
from Centreville to Fairfax Court
house. well we stayed there 3 or 4
days then marched to within 2 miles
of Alexandria through a heavy rain
and we all got wet through to the
skin and it was cold and windy and
it rain,d all night and we had to
lay on the ground and it come pretty
tough but we come out in the morning
all right and being used to such
scrapes we did not take cold and all
felt as happy as kings. we went on to
Alexandria last Friday afternoon and
went aboard the steamer Georgia and
started down the river the next morning

[page 2]
there was 35 vessels in all. we went
as far as the mouth of the Potomac
that night and cast anchor and stayed
all night then went on to fortress
Monroe about 200 miles from Alexandria
we had a splendid time of it. the
weather was warm and clear. we passed
all the rebel batteries along the Potomac
but they were all deserted. there was
some splendid forts and fortifications
along the river that the rebels boasted
of their efficiency to blocade the river
but the rebels had left on suspicion.
Before we got to Fortress Monroe we
got out of sight of land which was
something new for me. we arrived in
port about 4 oclock Sunday afternoon
and landed the next morning and
marched out to hampton village about
3 miles. the rebels evacuated the place
last fall and burnt the village so that
there is not a house left. we stayed
there that night and started for

[page 3]
Big Bethel the next morning about 11
or 12 miles distant but before we got
half way there our scouts came in and
brought the news that the rebels had
evacuated the place as usual. we then
halted and encamped in the woods where
we are yet. we heard last night last
night that Norfolk had was being
evacuated and that is a great stronghold
of the rebels. it is a little up the James
river and on the opposite side from
Fortress Monroe. it seems that the rebels
retreats as soon as they hear of the
Potomac army coming. there is 40 or 50,000
of the Potomac army here now and they
keep a coming all the time and you
can depend upon it we are going to drive
everything before us. I think we will
be in Richmond in less that 2 weeks
Our western armies are doing well
there has not been a battle lost in
over 3 months and that aint all we
don’t calculate to lose any neither.

[page 4]
The Galway boys are all well. the
weather is very fine and we are all
enjoying ourselves well.
Well I must close for this time
by bidding you good bye.
Write as often as convenient
This from your son

James Henry

unidentified Union soldier

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]