ON MARCH NEAR RAPPAHANNOCK
STATION, VA., October 18, 1863.
My Dear Mother:
I received your very welcome letter and did intend answering it last evening, but we were ordered to move, which prevented me from doing so. We left Rapidan about the 7th inst., and have been on the march ever since, and I believe it has been the hardest for the length of time that we have ever had. It was what might be termed a “flank movement” in every sense of the word. We marched through woods, fields and across branches, creeks and rivers as we came to them, only a few hours behind the Yankees all the time. Last Thursday we were drawn up in line of battle before day and our Division, with our sharpshooters in front, drove the Yankees through the woods and fields for two or three miles. Our sharpshooters killed and wounded a great many. Our Brigade took thirty or forty prisoners. A day or two before that we surprised a corps of Yankees in camp, hurrying them off rather unceremoniously. We all got our haversacks filled with crackers, which we very much needed, though we haven’t suffered for anything to eat on the march. Gen. Ramsieur is very attentive to his men in that respect. Day before yesterday we were in four miles of Manassas. I did wish that we might go that far. I wanted to see the old place so much.
The rumor in camp is that Gen. Lee has accomplished everything he intended, that is, to drive the Yankees back and tear up this railroad, which we are doing to perfection; but for the grading and bent iron you would not know that there ever was a railroad along here. We cut down the telegraph wire also, and carried that along with us. We stopped on the march to-day, about 10 o’clock, after marching about eight miles. What it is for, I can’t tell. I suppose something is the matter with the road ahead, or probably the bridge across the Rappahannock needs repairing. It is now 4 o’clock. I expect we shall move nearer the river to camp, however it does not make much difference where we stop, as we have rations up till tomorrow evening. I wish you could have seen us cooking up three days’ rations the other night, before attacking the Yankees the next day. We have flour and beef to cook and only about half the night to cook them in, without cooking utensils. We made up our dough on our gun cloths and cooked it on barrel staves and heads. You would be surprised to see how nice bread can be cooked on a ram rod. I think it is the sweetest bread that I ever ate. I think there must be something in the appetite also. Our beef we broiled on griddle irons made of telegraph wire. I think I was the first in our regiment to make one; since then nearly every man has one along with him. Col. Grimes detailed a blacksmith and sent him to me to get mine to make him one like it. He said it was the most useful thing he had seen. We cook bread on them also. Speaking of Col. Grimes, he just received a furlough to-day, and will leave for North Carolina in a few days. Dr. Thompson has not arrived yet, nor have we heard from him. I think the fall campaign is about over and I hope we will go into winter quarters somewhere on the railroad. I do want some sweet potatoes so much. Give my love to all the family, and believe me as ever,
Your devoted son,
WALTER.
P. S. I am truly glad that Dr. Harrell has got a position as surgeon. I hope he will be pleasantly situated. Please look in the watch pocket of my black satin vest, get my lip salve box, fill it with salve and send it in your next letter. This mountain wind keeps my lips split all to pieces. Tell Mr. Rhodes, Blake says he got the $30.00 safely; much obliged to him. I believe I will send you a Yankee letter that I picked up the other day in the woods while we were pursuing them. I don’t think peace is so near at hand as he does. Much obliged for this envelope and paper, you got an answer sooner than you otherwise would, there is no suttler along with us and none of the boys carry such things with them, they cost so much, and the first rain would ruin them.
Letters from two brothers who served in the 4th North Carolina Infantry during the Civil War are available in a number of sources online. Unfortunately, the brothers are misidentified in some places as Walter Lee and George Lee when their names were actually Walter Battle and George Battle. See The Battle Brothers for more information on the misidentification.