Camp White, December 4, 1863.
Dear Uncle: — Lucy and I have considered your bulletin announcing your determination to hold Birch. I now write to give you fair warning that the Twenty-third has re-enlisted for the war. We are entitled therefore under a late order to be furloughed in a body. One company has gone to Ohio already, and more are preparing to go as soon as the situation here will allow. Now, if you want war we can give it to you. I can take companies enough of veteran volunteers to recapture our boy. So be on your guard.
We are threatened with a Rebel invasion again. If they don’t come after us it looks now as if we should go after them. When this is over our men will generally go home, and I am pretty likely to go also. About the last of this month or early in January if matters go well I shall probably visit you. All well here.
Let Birch write to his Grandma Hayes as often as he is disposed to write at all. She is very much pleased with his letters. — Good-bye.
R. B. Hayes.
S. BIRCHARD.
