KP2025.001.049

No. 33
Bealses Station [Bealton Station] Va. May 9th 1863
Dear Brother & Sister
The 28th of April we started from Warrenton Junction (a few miles nearer Alexandria than this) & have made some extraordinary marching. We have been across the Rappahannock at Kellies Ford on Pontoons & forded the Rapidan at Raccoon ford & crossed the Pamunkey on a bridge at Yancyville & on to Louisa Court House. There we tore up the R. Road that runs from Richmond to Gordonsville. This was 14 miles from Gordonsville & took a store house of flour, Coffee, Sugar & Salt. We then went on to within 17 miles of Richmond. Sent 200 men on 10 miles further to burn a Railroad bridge on the road from Richmond to Fredericksburgh [Fredericksburg]. We found too large a force there guarding it & did not burn it but we burned a large Depo close by. I was with this Squadron & saw the smoke of the city of Richmond. I don’t know just how near we were to Richmond but some say 5 or 6 miles. We captured a baggage train & lots of prisoners but or Regt has not been in a fight. We have marched night & day most of the time & have captured hundreds of good horses from the lots & stables & took bacon, hams & flour at every house & mill we could find them & corn for our horses & wheat where we could not get corn. We are all tired out but we expect to rest here. I wrote a letter the 28th of April but had no chance to send it & have carried it with me. I will send it with this the first chance. There was one man in our Regt. drowned yesterday crossing the Rappahannock. We had to swim our horses & a few have been taken prisoner.
More hereafter.
K. Pearsons
The 10th Sunday morn.
I received 3 letters from you yesterday the 27, 28, & 29th & one from Cousin Abigail & Ann O. Bartlett & I got 6 for Joseph. I am very sorry his letter don’t go to him, but I will keep them till I see him. I am well but some tired. We have not had in all the 10 days raid we were on more than 2 nights of rest, so you may know that we are tired out. I got 2 Buffalo papers & the Banners yesterday but the night cap has not come yet. The pepper & rubber cord is received. The mail goes this morn & I must close. Good bye for this time. Very warm today.
K. Pearsons

KP2025.001.050

No. 34
Bealses Station [Bealeton Station], Va. May 10th 63
Dear Brother & Sister
I have just started 2 letters home but I’ve got to write you something more about our Cavalry raid into the heart of rebeldom and back. I presume my letter will be a disconnected one for I am so tired yet & I just hear that we have got marching orders again. We passed through a good deal of nice country & some of the nicest I ever saw. We captured all the horses & mules we found & as your horses tired out we would saddle the new ones and send the tired out ones (if they were worth taking along) with the mule train to be led. There were hundreds of contrabands came away with us & many of them would take Asses, mule or horse to ride (Bully for them). Our Brigade had a skirmish near Louisa C.H., lost one killed 2 or 3 wounded & a few prisoners & took a few prisoners. The reason of our not hunting the enemy and making battle with them was that our orders from Gen Hooker were to avoid bloodshed as much as possible.
(Disconnected you would think my letter would be a disconnected one if you were here. Tis now the morn of the 11th & I am 17 miles from where I commenced this letter yesterday. We are marching east again—the same road we (here comes the order to mount.)
Tuesday 12th
We marched 20 miles yesterday in a hot July sun and stopped a few miles from Aquia Creek landing. I heard that Erastus Harris is all right but I did not see him yesterday but I saw Jesse Walker. He is wounded in the left elbow. The shell is in there, can’t be got out. He had his arm in a sling and was standing by the side of the road as we passed. I expect to see Joe today. I’ll commence where I left off about our orders from Hooker to avoid bloodshed. Our mission was to cut off rebel communication & that we did. We tore up Railroads, cut Telegraphs & burned bridges. We tore up the R.R. between Gordonsville & Richmond at Louisa C.H. & burned R.R. bridges between Richmond & Fredericksburg & a part of our brigade with the acting Brigadier Co. Killpatrick [Kilpatrick] went down through to Williamsburgh [Williamsburg]. I don’t think Hooker would have crossed back if he had known what Stoneman was doing but I hear that a part of Hookers force are across the second time. For 10 days that we were on this raid we did not get more than 2 nights of sleep & most of the nights we were marching a great many of us had our feet and ankles swell, many were so bad that they could not get their boots on. Mine are swelled some but not bad, some are so bad that they are purple from their knees to their ankles. I think twas sitting in our saddles so long & preventing the free circulation of the blood. We got so sleepy that we would sleep on our horses & all hell could not keep us awake. The boys would lose their hats off and once in a while fell from their horses themselves but stayed through all of hardships. There was but little grumbling. My cream horse has carried me through & if he can have a few days rest he will be ready for another trip & so will his rider. Yesterday or last night I got a letter No. 29 & Buffalo & part of Gowanda Papers. Deborah has a hard time she must be more lonesome than ever now. When you see her tell her she has a soldiers Sympathy. Send your Oiled Silk to me, but what part of the Laurel tree do you want or is it a little one. I think you got a good price for the little heifer. I suppose the reason you
[remainder of letter missing]
[envelope]
Mr. Wm H. Press
Gowanda, Catt. Co.
N.Y.

4 o’clock P.M.
Wm I’ll have to tell you what I’ve done this afternoon. It’s been an awful hot day, We’ve remained in camp. I think I wrote about buying, trading & selling watches. Well in a few days after I sold one I bought back the same one for fifteen dollars & today I’ve traded and got $8.00 to boot & then sold out for $15.00 making just eight dollars. That makes eighteen dollars I’ve made trading watches. Shall I keep on or stop while I am ahead. There is no such thing as a Soldier getting lonesome or homesick here as long as he can keep busy reading, or writing letters or trading watches. Come down here and try it on old hay, live on hard tack & coffee & pork. There now I’ve got to stop to cut Sam Morrells hair. I’ll write a little in the morn.
Morn of the 12th Joseph returned last night. He is well & will write as soon as he can all is quiet this morn.
Kimball
O Wm. Joseph says you had better pay $300.00 if you can get it than go to war.
K.P.

[envelope]
Mr William H. Press
Gowanda, Catt. Co.
N.Y.