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Picket Line, 5 ms. from New Balto. Va. November 11th 1862.
Dear Mother:
Though my time for writing home has passed, I presume you will not be unwilling to hear from me, even now, & will excuse the pencil & paper, if you do not, me. Our [?] is almost daily changing & you all know a soldiers time is not his own. We arrived at White Plains 7th evening & motions seemed to indicate the next to be a day of rest & I was going to have a good time with my pen, but when 1st day came we were ordered to pack up with our days rations in our haversacks & start along once more. We marched about 8 ms & stopped near N. B. at about 2 o'clock P.M.
Here we were told we should stay over the next day & my plans were once more made. Two of us got Breakfast for the four of our tent & supposing we had time enough, did not hurry much & so at 9, just as we were ready to begin writing the order came, "be ready to go on Picquet at 12-30. I went to the Brook to wash up & just as I got well at this business, I heard 3 or 4 guns & saw the Regt. marching out of the woods and concluded we were to have a fight. I hurried back to find they had gone on grand "Review", so I hurried on after them & had the pleasure of seeing Mc.C. and being seen by him. We marched to & fro for an hour or more & went back into Camp at 12 [?] so had to get dinner and pack tents & blankets in half an hour. For dinner I had a slice of raw pork, a cup of tea & some Pilot Bread & made as good a meal as one need to have.
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at the stated since we started & went some 5 miles over as stony a road as ever thee saw I think & halted & three Companies were passed on the line, while the rest had to wait their turn. Co "G" went on the line at 2 o'clock this A.M. and staid till 9 & now, at 1 P.M. no other Regt. has come to relieve us & we may have to stay till to-morrow but don't know what may be the case. We are now about seven miles from Warrenton & expect to go there when we start again. The boys are feeling well now, to all appearences, the most of them. McAllaster is troubled with his leg somewhat, & was not able to come out with us this time. I fear he will not be able to bear the hard marches we are on now. My health is still quite good & I have no reason to complain of hard fare yet. I wish I had one or two lbs. of thy butter here [?] as I had a chance to buy some oysters, this morning & I fear they will not be very good without butter. I have not got a letter since we left Hagerstown & have not written much either so do not complain.
Excuse my delay as we were called to go on our post again when I got so far & staid till 8 o'clock P.M. when we were called in & had [over?] six miles to march in the dark over the same stony road getting to camp at 11 having been on guard [8?] hours. I am still well & enjoy myself first rate
Thy Son
W. B. Stevens
[in left margin:]
Please write me very soon & send me a supply of Postage Stamps.
[upside down:]
Excuse the [Frank?] on this as I have [?]
