Headquarters Engineer Brigade,
Near Falmouth, Va., April 4, 1863.
Dear Father, — I received a note from you in regard to George yesterday. . . .
I don’t know how soon we shall move. They are granting furloughs again, on the ground that the roads are bad. These high winds that we are having, however, are drying the roads wonderfully fast. I went out yesterday on the Warrenton road, about to be an important one, I judge, and found it very bad. The mud movement under Burnside cut it up so much that it will be some time before it is decent again. I was going out of the lines on business, but had so much trouble with the pickets that it got too late to go. The President and his wife arc coming down this afternoon, to review the troops. The review will come off to-morrow.
Channing Clapp of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry will probably be appointed as our adjutant-general. He is a very nice fellow, and will make a pleasant addition to our staff. I am still acting as such.
We have been fixing up our tents and camp-ground the last few days. It looks quite nicely here now. The whole camp is surrounded with a pine hedge, about ten feet high, and the interior is nicely gravelled. . . .
I send you an old copy of the countersigns. A list like the enclosed is sent out every week to the headquarters of each corps.
