Camp of 8th C.V. Aug. 16, Near Fredericksburg, Va. Saturday eveng 9 1/2 o'clock Have had a real pleasant call from col Harland this evening. I do like & respect him so much & I think he talks very freely to me. He is quite fearful lest Genl Rodman, who has returned, shall be assigned to this Brigade & he have to return to the Regt. It would be too bad after col H has organ- ized & drilled this Brigade to have Genl R. just at this time, take command & get all the credit that is truly due col. H. I know Genl Parke thinks most highly of col. H & I believe he will be sorry to make the change. Genl Stevens of the So. Carolina troops was questioning Gen. Reno respecting the Brigadiers in Gen Burnside 's Div - a short time since & Gen R in reply said that our Brigadiers were cols acting & in speak ing of them spoke in most complimentary terms of col. H. than either of the others I think this quite marked as col. H is not even in Genl R division & not much acquainted with him. Col. H. tells me this & you know he does not blow his own trumpet. I know he did not seek the position (tho' of course the affirmation was very acceptable) & had no friends working for him. It will be rather unpleasant to come back to command the Regt after twice acting as Brigadier. Col. H. said this evening that he had just been writing Gov. Buckingham & if he had thought would have recommended me for a field officer in the 18th. As usual all that I have written above is inter se. I had just recd your letter of the 13th & I read Geo's to him as that contained most of the Norwich news & then we had a real good talk together about all the Norwich characters Steven Meech & Ed Clapp getting their share of notice. We were much amused at the idea of Steve talking again of going. I cant but pity the men that Geo. Writes of as enjoying themselves running races &c. over at the Fair Ground, they little know what is before them. Our soldiers have now got used to almost everything & can hear most anything but the new ones have a race to run that they little understand, even those who were of the three months Regts have many tough lessons to learn. In the Co. next to mine Capt. Russell has been to day drilling four recruits for that Co. just arrived. I could not but laugh to see how eager they were to learn & how pleased to handle a Rifle, all that will come to an end soon, they will find that a gun is mighty heavy on the march & not nearly as pleasant to the touch as a plow handle or a shovel at home. I could not urge any man to enlist. What I have written refers to privates especially. Officers have many privileges & can live much better. I received the packet of shirts &c promptly at Newport News & now wearing them constantly they were just what I wanted. If I should have occasion to need more shirts will you please make them with a pocket. I have at least in this campaign learned two truths viz: that a pocket in a shirt is decidedly handy & that nothing can "stick tighter than a tick". Will you please put up some tomatoes in cans this summer (all seasoned to the taste) to send to me next winter & spring if I want them. It is 11 o'clock & I must lay down & get a nap of an hour or two & then go the Grand Rounds as I am off. of the Day. It seems to be my fortune to be on duty Sundays. I wish I could hear one of Mr Haydin's earnest sermons He is just the man for a chaplain. I wish he was here. Good night dear all. I have seemed to particularly enjoy this your last letter. Mother's Ellen's & Geo's. Geo. keeps me posted first rate. I am greatly obliged to him. I am so sorry to know that Ellen is not very well. Oh if I could only could come on & cheer her up a little but there is no use I cant at present tho' I dont give up the idea of seeing you all for a few days at least this fall. Again good night. I am just as well & tough as can be. Lt. Eaton at Falmouth sick yet. Lt. Shepard doing his best. Sunday 9 PM - I cannot get to writing somehow until late in the evening ever. Just retn from evening meeting. Very small atten dance col Appelman Dr. Storrs, & a few off. present. I dont blame the men for staying away for the discussions we have dont amount to much I would exchange all I have heard for the last three months for one of Mr Haydins good ones. Have been quite busy as officer of the Day. We had an extra muster today & a roll had to be made & this afternoon has been occupied in waiting upon some Secesh officers (13) captured on the way from Baltimore to Richmond. They are probably some of Ellen's acquaintences. They were delivered into my care this afternoon & I had to draw rations for them &c &c. Genl Parke's instructions were to treat them with perfect courtesy & give them all priveleges consistent with safe keeping. They expressed themselves with well pleased with their quarters & treatments thus far. I presume you will see accounts of their capture &c in the papers. We go out on Picket tomorrow, away 24 hours. We go every four days. Our first day was last Thursday. I must write but little more & then pack my haversack. I always think when we are starting off & carry our rations, Oh if I could but have my haversack packed at home. We divide the Regt when we go out & occupy the roads & when we were out last Thursday co B took the direct road to Richmond with three other Cos under command of col. Appelman & the advance post was given to my co. I felt rather flattered by such notice. We (co B) made our Hd Qts in a lovely little opening in the woods at the side of the road finely shaded by oak trees & there swung our hammocks for the day. Our picket posts were a short distance in advance. We were about five miles beyond Fredericksburg. There are cavalry pickets beyond us always. The duty was very pleasant except at night tramping out in the woods in the dark alone to look after our posts. I cant say I liked that particularly. The weather has been much cooler the last few days, the nights decidedly cold. We have had but few very hot nights. I dont know why you have not recd my letters I have written every few days. Marvin wait has been expected several days. Some alarm is felt at his not arriving. Best love. Chas.