Camp Stonewall Brig 
Oct 24th/63 
Dear Sister: 
 I received your letter of the 19th last week and would have answered sooner but circumstances prevented.  Since I last wrote you we have moved from the Rappahannock to Brandy Station six miles from Culpepper and are now busily building tents for winter quarters.  The day after we got to this place Chapin came down with my overcoat, shirt and the remnants of my box.  As he was delayed on the road and thought some of the contents would spoil, he opened the box and had to eat the turkey and some other things.  I got the butter, a few sweet potatoes, the bottle of sorghum and the pickle and cheese, which I have enjoyed very much.  I also received the $50 sent by Uncle James for which you will give him my best thanks and tell him I will not forget his many acts of kindness to me.  My overcoat fits elegantly and I will find it quite pleasant these cold mornings. 
 Yesterday morning we were called from our beds, ordered to cook a days rations and be ready to move by six o'clock. 
 
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We were soon ready and moved down towards the Rappahannock with a long train of wagons to haul off some railroad iron which had been left across the river.  Finding the Yankees between us and the iron it became necessary to drive them off, so our regiment and the 5th. were thrown forward as skirmishers--we formed and advanced.  Finding the Yankees posted on a hill, their cavalry drawn up in line supporting a battery of artillery which commenced shelling as we advanced.  We kept on until we got to the skirt of the woods in front of their artillery, where we found their cavalry dismounted and posted behind trees.  As soon as we got close enough they poured a volley of musketry into our line, wounding several, among whom are Raymond slightly in the leg and Bartley severely in the leg, of our company, also killing two in the 5th.  We kept on driving them from the woods and taking position behind the trees, opened fire upon their cavalry and artillery on the hill in front of us.  It soon got too warm for them and they limbered up and went over the hill in short order.   
 
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As we had driven them from the iron the wagons came up and loaded and started for the river.  In the meantime the Yankees thought they would try and drive us off and advanced again to the top of the hill when we opened fire on them from behind the trees and our artillery from the hill behind us compelled them to fall back.  The first shell from our artillery fell short of the Yankees and dropped in our company between Lyle and myself, but fortunately the fuse had not burned up and we had time to fall down, when the shell burst and the pieces flew over our heads.   
 After the wagons had safely gotten across the river we withdrew our lines and got safely back to camp where we arrived about nine o'clock at night everybody tired and broken down.  But we all after a good nights sleep feel much better.  This evening we have to witness the execution of a deserter from the 2nd. Reg. He says he is prepared to die.  As I have to clean up my gun on account of the hunt yesterday, I will close. 
       A.T.B.