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Mr. Ira Foote Fitchville Huron, Co. Ohio Camp Kelly Grafton, Va. Feb.20, 1862 [Thursday] Dear Brother, I have concluded to write to you once more but I have waited so long that I am almost ashamed to write. We have got back to Grafton once more all alive and well. I should have written oftener but we have been on the move so much that it has been pretty tight times and all the time that I have had to spare I have been willing to rest. I heard by way of a letter that Alonzo Mcord got that you was not very well I have been waiting patiently to hear from you but I expect it is the same with you as it is with the rest of the folks you have plenty of other business to attend to. I tell you what it is I just begin to learn what it is to be a soldier. But I have seen more since I left Camp McClellun than I ever saw before and I think that I have learned one or two very fine lessons. We left this place [likely transported on the B&O Railroad] two weeks ago last Monday [February 3, 1862] and landed in New Creek, Va on the banks of the Potomac river [likely the North Branch of the Potomac]. We went into camp on the banks of the river where we could look across and see the rocks of Maryland where the snow lay about two feet deep. but we was not alone there was two other regiments of infantry besides plenty of artillery & cavelry. As soon as we got nicely settled down we were called in to go to Romney & we started off in a hurry. There was fifty out of each Co. that went and the rest staid back to gaurd the town. I was one that was fast for going but the first day we marched about 27 miles if I was not a tired boy I never was. I thought my legs would dropped off from me but all we had to do was to build some fires and curl down on the ground and the next morning get up and at it again. We marched within a mile of Romney and found out that the rebels had left and burned a bridge accross the river [likely the South Branch of the Potomac] so that we could not get across the river and all we had to do was to go back to our quarters and it made the boys mad you better believe. we killed 4 beeves for the secess farmers on the road We had one days rest after we got in to camp and we was called on for another march. Monday morning feb 10th at four oclock we started not knowing where we was going. the same number that went before. After marching two days we found out that we were going too Moorefield and we expected to have quite a time. Wednesday morning [February 12, 1862] about four oclock we reached the river [likely the South Branch of the Potomac] three miles below the town where we expected to cross on a ferry but the ferry was gone. We stopped to rest and we built some fires and as soon as they got nicely burning the balls commence whisteling and it made us happy for certain but we soon cleared them out. The next morning we marched into Moorefield after having a little brush and killing ten or twelve of their men. We took about forty Prisoners besides taking considerable property. The town was gaurded with eight hundred rebels and we make them scatter for certain. If we had served them right we would have burned the town for them but we went back home without doing much damage. The farmers had to suffer considerable. We took two hundred head of cattle on the road. But I must draw to a close for the drum has beat for the lights to be blown out and I have scribbled long enough. Please answer this as soon as convenient and send a few postage stamps or a little chink for we have not had a cent of pay. Signed by G.W. Foote File historyLegend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete
this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version.
LinksThe following pages link to this file: License: I, the author of this work, hereby release it into the Public domain. This applies worldwide. In case this is not legally possible: I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.
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