Augusta County: Thomas M. Smiley to His Sister, January 4, 1863
Summary:
Discusses Stuart's movement around the enemy, Christmas fare in camp, cost of food in camp,
and the brigade's losses in 1862.
Sister
Jan 4th 1863
Camp Winder
Dear Sister
I received your letter yesterday dated the thirty first & now hasten to answer it. I
am well with the exception of a cold which is nothing new. There is no news of importance
except that there was a slight stir in camp yesterday in consequence of a rumored advance of
the enemy but it appears to have subsided now General Stuart has made another dash around the
enemy & returned without the loss of a man. He captured five hundred
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prisoners, two hundred wagons, and destroyed five days rations for the Yankees.
Christmas & New Years day passed off quietly with us. We had a great variety on the
table for our christmas dinner[deleted: s] the breakfast consisted of beef steak & bread, dinner was bread & Roast Beef,
& supper out of what was left [deleted: for] at breakfast. To give you an
idea of what we have to pay for little extras I will mention the price of a few articles.
Apples are selling at from $1.50 to two dollars a dozen, Ginger Bread 3 cakes for a dollar,
Butter two dollars a pound, sausage 1.50 per pound, dried apple pies that are baked in camp
bring 75 cents and a dollar & everything else is in proportion. There was but few of the men that could afford to get
drunk this
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Christmas as Whiskey is selling at fifteen dollars a quart. During the last year we lost
out of our brigade 1220 men in killed & wounded no mention being made of those that
died from disease the loss in our regiment was 400 almost one-third of the whole amount We marched over 1500 miles encountering the snows &
ice of Winter in the mountains of Morgan and hampshire. The miasma of summer in the swamps of
Henrico & Hanover Our bridgade numbers but 1200 muskets at the beginning of the present
year. If I can obtain a copy of the order I will send it to you which contains a history of the
past years campaign in few words. We are now fixed up
pretty well having a little tent fixed up
& a chimney in it in which we do our cooking
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But I will now draw my letter to a close by asking you to excuse all mistakes &
write soon to your brother
Tom
