Union Mills, Virginia, June 20, 1863

Dear Parents:

Hooker's Army has lately made an advance on Washington in true military style! The old brigade is not more than 8 or 10 miles from us now. They stayed nearer than that one night and a good many of the boys went over there to see them and some of them came over to see us. I did not go, as I was on picket that night. John Crosby came over a day or two ago, looked just as tough as a bum, and as to his appearance, why he is just as Paddy as ever, though I would not care to use that expression were I speaking to his folks.

There are about 35 men for duty in that company. There are no troops now between us and Richmond now, unless they be Rebel troops. All have either fallen back or gone to Maryland. I do not think that the Rebs have got a very heavy force in Pennsylvania, neither do I believe they will have. I cannot believe that Lee is foolhardy enough to take his whole army or the greater portion of it north of the Potomac. If he does, I am afraid that he will never get back again without getting it all cut to pieces. We expect that a heavy force from Hooker's army has gone up to meet them there; while another good part of it remains within the defenses of Washington ready for any emergency.

We have been having some rain- am glad of it, to lay the dust for a while, and where the dust flies like snow in a regular March tornado, that is no small favor. Besides, it is cooler now. Day before yesterday it was 108 degrees in the shade. Would like to go to Brattleboro to celebrate the 4th, but I know that we can't so there is no use making a fuss about it. As the army fell back this time, it did what ought to have been done long ago, viz: cleaned out the country as they came along. I do not suppose that every house is burned, but they have purified a good many Sesesh kennels and left the inhabitants thereof to go either north or south as they felt inclined, though it is more than probable that most of them chose to go beyond the Rebel lines. For several days we could see immense clouds of smoke looming up from the direction of the Rappahannock, but hardly knew what to make of it. At last we learned that the cavalry were cleaning out the country as they came along. At Bealton they burned all the station buildings and at Catlett did the same thing, but at Warrenton Junction they did not burn a single thing for the simple reason that there is nothing there that will burn. Neither is there at Manassas, except the water tank, and at Bristow there is nothing left worth burning, for we used up the buildings pretty much for shanties to live in.

By the way, I believe I would as least have a farm down here somewhere as to go west to look of it. Take Wier's place, which was Beauregard's headquarters at Manassas for instance....But I must close. I do not know whether this will go straight along or not, but think 'twill get there before I do.

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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.