1862 December 27 Camp near Petersburg

Camp near Petersburg December the 27th 1862
Dear Parents Brothers & Sisters
                                       It is with pleasure I
seat myself to write you all a few lines to inform
you that me and Cummings are well hopeing when
these few lines comes to hand they will find
you all well..we are now in camp in a pine
bottom about too miles below petersburg. we
left drewrys bluff christmas eave and marched
to Petersburg about 20 miles. We took our christmas
at Petersburg. Cummings myself & several fo the
boys went to a show in Petersburg Christmas night
it was right smart amusement to us. we got as
many cake & pies as we could eat. Though I would much
rather been at home where I could of enjoyed myself
in any way I would wish to. between hear and
Ptersburg their is a long string of Brestworks &
between Petersburg and Ricmond their is another string
of brest works well put up and extend both ways
as far & farther than you can see I[t] looks to
me like we was just makeing a commencement
towards fighting.  It looks strange to be marching
along the rod and see fine plantations all
ditche & throwed for brest works it looks like
ruining a plantation but it is of great profit
our army it dont look to me like the enemy

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from could ever rout us from behind such
brest works as these are.   I dont know but I
dont think their is much expectation of a fight
down hear shortly though the enemy isent a
a[sic] great ways off  The[y] are at what they call the
blackwater.  We have a new general. we have lost
our old favorite general Martial. Our new
General is Colston I dont know where he is from
nor any thing about him more than he is a small
spairmaid spritely loking man he is middleaged
brave looking fellow.  I dont think he has got
any more sense than to fight.  he isent as pleas-
ant & mild  a looking as our old general we used
to have. we haven had our tents since we left
Richmond it is driseling rain to day my paper
is getting so wet I can heardly write I dont
know when we will get our tent.  Thoug I expect
we will get them before long.  The weather
has been very mild every since we have been
down hear,  The boys are all cuting pines
trying to fix them a shelter. their is nothing
hear but pine. oak timber is very near a scarse
hear as pine is their.  Ma I am very sorry that
I dident get to send you and Pa them pipes
I got them as I went through witheville
but never had any chance to send them
to you.  we have very good beds down hear

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we make up pine leaves and fix us a bed
equal to a feather bed.  I havent heard
from Rieves since I left home want you
to write and let me know wher he is
the reason I headed my letter all of you
none of you has ever written.  I thought it would
be better to hear all of you then their wouldent be any
of you slited and I would s[t]and a better cance
of getting an answer. we have all been
vacinated it is said the small pox are very
bad in Richmond, Charles M Browing is
as well as common and seems very well
satisfyed Martha you and Sarah must\
write it has been too weeks since I left
home. & I have never heard from their since
this is fine time for shucking cut up corn
I feel like I ought to be at home helping
get the corn up.   It is droping rain so on
my paper I will have to bring my letter
to a close write soon and let me know whether
James has got well or not more at present
to Pa, Ma & all the rest  Charles H Gilmer
                                         & Cummings

Charles H. Gilmer, 29th Virginia, Co. G

MSS 5194