_Camp near Fredericksburg, Va.,
December 24, 1862._
The Yankees seem loath to make another advance since the good whipping
we gave them here on the thirteenth in the battle of Fredericksburg.
Milton Bossardt’s company went into the fight with forty men, and
thirty of them were killed or wounded. He escaped very narrowly. A hole
was shot through his hat and one of his shoe heels was shot off. Pick
Stevens never shuns a fight. He goes boldly into them all.
I will not write you about the battle, for you must have seen enough
in the newspapers concerning it. According to their own newspaper
accounts, the Yankees were defeated much worse than we at first thought
they were.
Some of us sent out to-day and got some eggs, and are going to have an
egg-nog to-night, so you see we are trying to have some enjoyment for
Christmas if we are out here in the woods. The Government is trying to
help us, for we drew several extra good things to-day.
You must keep in good spirits. I will get home some of these days yet.
I may surprise you.