Fairfax Station Feb. 22nd, 1863

Dear Parents,

Virginia!- the land of many changes, whose soil has so oft been devastated by contending armies; Virginia! The home of the soldier, and the backbone of the rebellion, is today swept by a most merciless snow storm, the toughest of the season. The Lord have mercy on those poor soldiers who have nothing but their 'shelter' tents to protect them from the fury of the storm. But we here in our comfortable stockades and with good warm fires, do not need much sympathy. It commenced storming about midnight, and at the present time, a little after noon, we have 7 or 8 inches of snow, perhaps more. Nobody goes out today unless he is obliged to. Here in our tent we have done nothing today except keep a good fire, and split hardtacks with a hatchet for dinner. Hardtacks don't generally need to be split with a hatchet, but these we have got now are solid substance sure enough. Fletch Morgan Just came out of his tent with an axe and said he had got to go and get some wood, as he had got everything into the stove except about 30 hardtacks. We don't happen to be in that fix however, as we had the good fortune to get in enough last night to last all day and more too, and in a storm, green pine interspersed with a few dry rails are not to be sneezed at.

There is no use thinking that there will be anything of any importance done here in Virginia while the winter lasts, for there is not an army under the broad canopy of Heaven could more now. The infantry might possibly get alone, but for the artillery and baggage, moving is simply impossible. Neither could infantry move far without supplies. They have been obliged to corduroy the road from the Station to Wolf Run Shoals where the 12th and 13th are stationed, in order to get their supplies to them. The 15th have done most of the corduroying on this end of the road, and the 14th and 16th have done all the guard and fatigue duty at the Station. The 16th is rather improving in health as the measly characters are all getting better, and there are not many new cases.

As for me, I am growing fat, if not saucy, I am heavier than I was before I had the measles; weighed 164 yesterday as the commissary weighs things. The Plymouth boys are most of them gaining, though Archer at the hospital is pretty sick,- I can't say how sick as no visitors are allowed in the hospital. I believe on the whole that the boys who stay in quarters get along better than those that go up to the hospital....I wonder what Andrews thinks now about going to war. He thought that he never should come unless he was obliged to, and I'm thinking that his honor will have a chance to come before we are obliged to come again, as I believe we shall be exempt from the first draft, which we here think will come before long, as we expect to be back in Vermont again about the first of June, and the government must have some men to take the places of the nine months' men now in service....The old bass drum is just beating for church. I am afraid the chaplain won't have a very large audience this afternoon, as his meeting house is not over and above comfortable, even if the seats are cushioned; at least I don't feel much inclined to swell his congregation, even if I had any faith in the man, which I have not.

So severe is the day considered by the officers that the guards have every one been taken off, and the Colonel and commissary and sutler each takes care of himself. These are all the regimental guards that are usually kept on through the night, with the exception of one in front of the guard tent. We have to send guards to the Station every other day, and today fortunately we have none there. We have just proposed to go out fox hunting tomorrow, now that there is snow. There is a fellow in Co. "B" that will bark just like a dog, and we thought he would do for the hound, but Alfred thinks we wouldn't be apt to find many foxes about here. It is not snowing so fast just now. Perhaps it may clear off again some time.

Where is Tyler Coolidge now? I should be very glad to have him write to me. I judge by your letter that you have not seen him yet. It seems your new schoolmaster is mighty wise to be wiser than the eminent man that built the Spelling book (Noah Webster) I should presume that you might have snow enough now so that you could dare to go to Rutland. Even ours won't last but a few days, but if anybody had a sleigh they might take a sleigh ride any where through the corn fields. I do not feel at all concerned about my money. Some of the boys have already heard that theirs is all straight. There are more or less Vermonters in camp most of the time, though there is none here now that I know. The ones who cared for me when I was sick were my tent mates, Alfred and M.P. Baldwin. We three have stuck together since we first came to Virginia. Ross is a little different animal. His first and sole care is for himself. The mail has just come into camp, so I will close and hold myself in readiness for anything. Yours, H.G.Day

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Contributed by Linda M. Welch, Dartmouth College, Windsor County researcher.

Return to the Index of Hezron's letters..

See also Hezron's biography, and his memoir of the Gettysburg Campaign.