Dear Parents,

I once more take my pen in hand to let you know that I am alive.  I have been waiting to get a letter from you.  There must be something happened.  I know that you got the letter I wrote because I got a paper directed to the Battery.   I have been sick for about a week but am pretty well now.

You have heard about the battle, I suppose.  We had a view of the whole fight.  We were stationed on this side of the river a little to the right of the city.  We opened on the city about daybreak.  We fired most of the day.  We stayed there till after the pontoons were taken up.  I don’t feel much like writing today.  I will give you and account of the battle some other time. 

I will give you directions of the Battery again.  Battery K, 1st U.S. Artillery.

We have heard heavy firing today.  It sounds like fighting.  We expect to leave here soon.  Where we shall go, we can’t tell.

Direct your letters to Aquia Creek.  Write as soon as you get this letter.  Goodbye for this time.  My love to you all.

I did not post the letter yesterday so I will write that today is the last day of the month.   We were mustered for six months pay.  When we shall get it I can’t tell.  I feel pretty well.  I have had dreadful pains in my head and at first all over my body. 

I don’t know what will be done here.  Stuart’s Cavalry will come and carry us off if our men are not a little bit sharper.  Four regiments of infantry and one of cavalry were captured by him, few days since.  The report was last night that the Rebs were evacuating Fredericksburg but I have not heard much of it today.  What the Grand Army is going to do is a question.  They cannot move forward and I think it would be hard for them to retreat.  A great many think we will go to the Peninsular but we can’t tell.

Send me some postage stamps when you write.  Goodbye for this time.  My love to you all.