1862 December 27 Fredericksburg, Va.

                                  Dec. 27th 1862
My Dear Father                                
                     I have time before the car-
rier leaves for the office to write
only a line, to say I am well.
I did not write last week to you but
did to Lee, & told her to send you
word that I was well.
     I received your letter of the 14th Nov
from you & mother of a previous
date. These are all I have received
from you since here.
     We have orders to go into
winter quarters 15 miles from here
the day after tomorrow. The locality
I am told is 12 miles from the
railroad. I intended writing for
a box of clothes by this letter to
be sent to McHenry & Duprey
but as I don’t [know] what opportunities
I will have for getting it I

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will wait until we get into our
new quarters. I have no means
of knowing what the fate of the
enemy is across the river – But
as afar as the eye can judge
they have certainly diminished
consi a great deal. I will
try & send you a sketch of the
battle field if I can make one.
I had done so before but have
not had an opportunity. I send
mother a piece of arbor vitae
taken from the yard of a Mr.
Bernard on the battle field – His
house & garden is a splendid one.
His library not a very full one
but splendidly selected. Every thing
was torn to pieces however
by the enemy. He is said to be
taken off by them, under arrest.

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     Do you augur good or bad
from the attempted resignation
of Seward. The carrier wants my letter. my best love dear
father to all.
                   Most affly yr. son
                               W. H. Perry, Jr.

William H. Perry, Richmond Howitzers

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 7786-d