Stoneman Station, A. C. & F. R. R., Va.,
Sunday, Jan. 25, 1863.
Dear Sister L.:—
I thought the subject of bugler was exhausted, but I see you want to know more about it. I am chief bugler of the brigade. My duties are, in camp, to sound the calls for roll calls, drills, inspections, guard mounting, etc., at regular hours each day; on the march, to attend on the general in command and sound the calls to march or halt and rest, strike tents and form in line, etc. In short, to act as mouthpiece for the general. So much for duties. As to privileges —one, I’ve nothing to do but bugle; two, my luggage is carried in the headquarters wagons; three, I get better rations than in the regiment, and more of them; four, I get my wood hauled, and in the regiment the men have to carry all they burn a long distance. Well, there are four, perhaps that’s enough, but I might add others. As to the horse, I have one now, and a splendid one, too. He would be worth $175 at home. Colonel Vincent, acting as Brigadier General, went to the brigade quartermaster and told him to furnish me a horse that I could carry the brigade colors on and keep up with him. He is a dashing rider, and no raw head and bloody bones could keep up with him, so he gave me a beautiful black horse, and I am now the brigade color bearer and bugler. My pay should be $21 per month, but I don’t think I shall get now more than $13. They have commenced to-day paying our brigade four months’ pay. Nearly seven months are due.
Well, Burnside has moved again, and got stuck in the mud. That is the short of it. The long of it was the five days it took us to get six miles and back to camp. It beat all the Peninsula mud I ever saw, and demonstrated the falsity of Burnside’s theory that if twelve horses couldn’t draw a cannon twenty-four could. The more horses the worse it was.
We got back to our old camps yesterday, and I apprehend we shall stay a while. The army cannot move in this climate in the winter, and perhaps the people will believe now that “Little Mac” was right in not moving last winter.
