1862 December 18 Fairfax Station, Va.

[on patriotic stationery featurieng a bust of McClellan which has been crossed out]


              Fairfax Station, Va.
                  Dec18th/62
Dear Mother:
                           This is a
beautiful sunshiny morn-
ing and having a little
 leisure time I improve
the oppertunity of writing
you a few lines.  I am
well and somewhat weary
from our march since we
left Harper's Ferry.  I wrote
you from Fairfax Courthouse
on the P.M. of the 14th and
told you that we were on
our way to Burnside's Army; so we
were, but we are now only four

[page 2]
miles from the above named
place camped on the Same
ground that we camped on
that night.  We have been march-
ing ever since, and have been
at Manassas' Junction and twelve
miles on our way to Frederick
sburg; but the roads are very
muddy and we have a great
deal of trouble in moving
the large train of waggons
which we are obliged to take
with us.  You will hear
before you get this that
Burnsides has been de-
feated at Frederick.  In con-
sequence of his defeat, we
have been ordered to fall
back and are now doing
so, having returned twelve
 miles yesterday.  When I say  
we, I mean, Slocum's Corps,
being 40,000 strong.

[page 3]
What our future move-
ments will be, I am
unable to say. Whether we
shall stop here or go
somewhere else I do
not know.  We are now
only 28 miles from Washing-
ton.  Perhaps we shall go
there or we may go to Alex-
ander, Va.  Or, we may be
ordered to move on Fred-
erick by some other
way or road.  The Capt. tells
me now that we
will go to Bull's Run, Va.
Mother, you need not
expect me home until
I am discharged from
the Army, as it is im-
possible to get a Furlough
now.   You must try to
do the best you can at home
without me.

[page 4]
I shall continue to send
you money whenever we
get pay from Uncle Sam
and you can give me
credit for it or not as
you like.  I will get
some pay sometime in Jan-
uary and I can send you
some money then-perhaps
fifty or sixty Dollars.  I re-
ceive 17 dollars per month
now and perhaps it will
be more before long.
We fare rather rough now.
We had to leave our tents
in Md consequently we have
to make large fires and roll
up in our blankets by it to
sleep but Hank is all right
can stand such fare as
long as anybody.  There is
no need of whining about it
for it will do no good.  You need
not enhance any unnecessary trouble
about me. I must close So good bye
Write soon and often,
                   With much love to All,
                               W.H. Redman
Direct via Washington, D. C.

Catharine Redman

[upside down in top margin of page one]
P.S. You need not
expect letters very regu-
larly from me as I can
only write when an op-
pertunity offers its self to
send a letter W,H.R.

[right side margin on page one]
I want the boys to pass at School and improve
their oppertunity
for obtaining an
education
their time is precious

William Henry Redman, 
Co. C., 12th Illinois Cavalry

MSS 7415