_Camp near Rappahannock River, Va.,
April 5, 1863._
The weather has been more disagreeable since the beginning of April
than at any previous time this winter. The wind has blown almost
incessantly and furiously at times. To-day is one of the windiest and
most disagreeable that I ever saw. It is awful. I hope the wind will
subside by night, or I am afraid it will blow my tent down. Yesterday
when it was nearly night snow began falling, and with it there was a
hurricane of wind, which continued through the night, and was terrific
at times. I expected the tent to come down on Billie and me every
moment, but it stood the gale finely, although it kept up a horrible
flapping all night. The wind is still blowing to-day and the snow is
several inches deep. Such weather as this will delay “Fighting Joe”
Hooker’s movements for some time, and it is so much the better for us.
There is now some scurvy in the army, which is caused by a lack of a
vegetable diet. It is not serious yet and is easily cured if the men
can get vegetables to eat.
We received orders from General Lee to be ready for an active campaign
on the first of the month, by getting rid of all our surplus baggage.
About one week ago I saw a Yankee balloon up on the other side of the
river, and was told that General Lee had one up at the same time, but
I did not see it. I do not believe we shall have so severe a campaign
this spring and summer as we had last year, but I am more than willing
to endure all the hardships again to be as victorious as we were then.
You need have no apprehension that this army will ever meet with
defeat while commanded by General Lee. General Jackson is a strict
Presbyterian, but he is rather too much of a Napoleon Bonaparte in my
estimation. Lee is the man, I assure you.
Dr. Kilgore and a great many others are extremely tired of this war,
and he has succeeded in getting transferred to Macon, Ga. The surgeon
who has taken his place is Dr. Tyler, a son of the former President
of the United States. When the Thirteenth Regiment was formed there
were six doctors and two bookkeepers in the medical department, and now
every one of them has gone but myself.