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I had borowed several Stamps, so am now short please send another dozen when the writes [?]
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McAllaster's courage is good & he is doing well. Yesterday we were ordered to the support of one of our Batterries in the front and, under fire, we once more formed a line and lay under arms, all day. One more of our men was hit slightly. In all Our Regt. lost nearly sixty in killed & wounded. I am well & safe, yet I am in no haste to be in such a position again unless the Regt. is needed there; if it is [underline]I[/underline] go [underline]with[/underline] it. I must write no more. We are now some one & a half ms. from the front, on the river, but do not know how long we are to be at rest. Foster is Lt. Col. & had command of the Regt. till yesterday, when the Col. returned. I cannot write much to Thos. now but will soon. Give my love to him & [underline]sister[/underline] Jane & [underline]all. much[/underline] to thee,
W. B. Stevens
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Bivouac of 4th Vt Regt. Dec. 15, 1862
Dear Mother:
Mary's good letter of the 5th inst. is received this hour, and as this is the first time since the 11th that I have had a chance to read a letter, much less to write one, I must improve it.
Since I last wrote thee the 4th has seen one of the most severe times it ever experienced. On the 11th we left our last camp, some three ms. from Bell Plains and came to the shore of the river opposite Fredricksburg and lay on our arms till night, waiting for the Pontoons to be laid across the river. At dark we were marched back a mile to stay over night
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and in the morning came again to the river and crossed without opposition and came only a short distance till [underline]dark[/underline] again and then the Fourth was sent to the extreme front on Picuet and passed a quiet night, though the enemy were in our hearing all night, and in the morning, saw a Battery planted in front of us, about one half mile from us on a level plain and soon after sunrise the [Drape?], Solid shot & Shells began to pour in upon us and soon we were ordered to deploy as Skirmishers & under a terrible fire Infantry & Artillery we advanced on the open plain about 3/4 of a mile with [underline]no[/underline] support & the last
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of the way in most as much danger from our own guns behind as those of the Rebs. before. One of our men, Derbon whom Horace will remember, was one of the first to fall & then with a single line of men, and those two or three paces apart we stood before them till our powder gave out & we were ordered to "about face". Five of our men, were left on the Field & we were sent back for them. Two Derbon & Bruce have since died; Sergt. McAllaster was hit by a piece of Shell, on the knee, which without making any hole in his cloths, wounded him severely, but not [underline]dangerously[/underline]. Kent of Montpelier had his foot taken off, above the ankle. One of the Recuits had a bullet through the hand.
