Union Mills, Virginia, April 28th, 1863

Dear Parents,

You see that we still hold Union Mills, and have not taken up a permanent abode on the Rappahannock shore, though we are just now having a little more picket duty to do than we have had before. Our new Division General, Abercrombie, is mighty strict. He has ordered out all the fires on the picket line, made some new regulations about passes, etc. The boys feel rather aggrieved about the fires, and were so mad yesterday morning they set fire to the woods. I was kept off picket this morning to make out the muster rolls, as we all have to be mustered for pay again the last day of t is month. The paymaster has just been around with four months' pay ($52). Many of the boys are sending home a considerable portion of it. I am going to send $50 in the shape of a check from the paymaster, which I presume you can draw at any bank, as well as you could the widow's order that you dealt with last year. There seems to be some sort of movement in progress down in front of us this morning. Artillery, cavalry, and a lot of mules have been sent down on the railroad this morning, and 'tis said that there was a skirmish down on the Rapahannock this morning, and that the first trains brought up some wounded soldiers, though I did not see them.

I imagine that if the weather holds good for a week, we will hear of awful fighting on the Rapahannock, and I feel confident of success, for they are taking unwearied pains to make it a sure thing and of all the forces of cavalry and light artillery that they have on the river 30,000 cavalry on the river around the railroad, and Warrenton, besides the artillery and what troops have gone down on the railroad last night and today: all these exclusive of the troops that Hooker has with him in front of Fredricksburg. We saw 10,000 cavalry the day we went down the railroad, and had we not received orders from Averill we would probably have run right down to the river and had a few shells thrown at us. We had some new non commissioned officers made last night, and concluded that the newly promoted men had better wet their stripes, so the company fell in to two ranks and marched down to the sutler's, the non coms heading the delegation, and there we devoured a half barrel of apples at their expense, the Adjutant and commissioned officers sharing with us. Then we marched back to our company ground, dispensed a few good lusty cheers and had a good time generally for the remainder of the evening. We are now expecting to get back about the first of June. Have just got my check from the paymaster, which I enclose, but do not have time to write more. H.G. Day

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

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