On picket between Rappahanock Station & Alexandria RR
May 20, 1863

KP2025.001.052

On Picket at Rappahannock Station
on the Orange & Alexandria R.R. May 20th
1863
No. 35
From home, from Brother & Sister, the question comes. Kimball what are you about, how are you spending your time? At this time 2 o’clock P.M. I am baiting Josephs & my horses in clover a foot high. Some of it has blossomed, about 50 rods from the Rappahannock, reb pickets on the other side. Last night I stood a post from 12 till 3 & to night I stand from 6 till 9 & watch the R.R. bridge across the river. I fished a little while last night and caught some bull pouts & one eel. Our Regts Head Quarters is at Bealton [Bealeton] Station. (I have written it Bealses Station, but I see it is Bealton [Bealeton]) we will go back to the Regt. tomorrow if we are relieved & we expect to be. Then in a couple of days go on picket again. I sent $20.00 to you in a letter that I sent to Jonases folks & I will send $20.00 in this & with the ten that I lent Joseph wen he came home & the Sixteen that you got for the Heifer will make enough to pay Ross. I think the note was Seventy dollars and there is a little more than a years interest on it. We have just got 4 months pay (up to the 1st of March) I have had no letters lately.
Half past 5 O clock. I’ve just eaten supper. Nelson Washburn Samuel Morrel Joseph and I tent & mess together when we can. We had a good mess of narrow dock greens for supper with vinegar, salt & pepper for seasoning & hard tacks, fried pork & cold water. I’ve got to go on post in a few moments & I’ll try and finish this tomorrow. Its very warm here, but not uncomfortable & quite cool nights.
A few minutes after six here I am on post with the river between me & some reb picket. We are about 60 rods apart. He is a cavalryman too. A few rods below is a good dam. It is just about as long as Plumbs dam but is a dam…sight better dam than his ever was. At this end of the dam is the remains of a grist mill. I think it must have been a good one for the walls, 20 feet from the water are 3 feet thick, stone laid in lime mortar. The mill has been burned and so has all the other buildings at Rappahannock Station, nothing but large chimneys left & that’s the kind of chimneys the all have here at the ends of the houses & outside of that a few rods below the dam is the railroad bridge a temporary structure (unfit for use, now). Our Soldiers burned the bridge here last fall & a few rods below the bridge is a ford. The banks on each side where we are standing picket is 50 feet above the water but above & below there is not much of any banks. Well its most sundown. I am sitting on a big rock, my horse hitched to a stump close by & my opposing picket is holding his horse by the halter & letting him graze. Joseph is on post about a half mile from me & Samuel Morrel is on another post. We have only 3 posts for 25 men which makes it easy for us. Dark came so good night.
Friday the 22nd.
I am at Bealton [Bealeton] Station, tough & hearty. Got a letter from home last night No. 39 May 11th. I think you must have heard before this from he. We too heard that Richmond was taken. You say you suppose we are under Gen. Stoneman. We are & Stoneman is under Hooker. Gen. Stoneman is Chief of Cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, but we are in 3rd Division 3d Cavalry Corps commanded by Gen. Gregg & we are in the 1st Brigade (there is 2 Brigades in our Division) the 1st Brigade is commanded by Col. Killpatrick [Kilpatrick] (a dare devil if there ever was one, we all like him) & has 3 Regts, the 2nd NY, or Harris Lights, the 1st Maine & the 10th N.Y. Col. Windham commands the 2nd Brigade. Now when you read the news you can tell maybe whether it relates to us or not. I saw Jesse Walker the 15th the day we came back here. He was felling well & said his arm was doing well & I also saw [upside down first page] Wm. Peck Salvation with the help of Brother Alonzo Cook.

[envelope]
Mr. Wm H. Press
Gowanda, Catt. Co.
N.Y.
[envelope reverse]
#35 Orange & Alexandria
May 20, 1863

KP2025.001.053

No. 36
On picket at Beverly ford on the
Rappahannock Va May 25th 1863
Dear Brother, Sister & little Girls
I would like very well to see you all & have a chat with you but as by letter is the only way we can chat I’ll improve every little chance I get. I’ve been here two days, expect to be relieved to day. We get mail every other day now & when I get back to camp I hope to get some from you. Joseph has got a pretty sore mouth (so has a good many boys) but he is so he does duty & is getting fat. As for me I am tough & hearty, tanned up a little, would be in your eyes, & got my hair shingled tight to my head & Joseph has his, so we don’t have to comb any hairs at all.
May 26th We are here at Beverlies ford yet & expect to stay a couple of days more, we are having a few days of cool weather after some hot ones. I got no letter yet in reply to any I sent since I returned from the raid but I guess they will come along in a day or two. I hear the news this morning that Vicksburg is ours, if it is tis a hard blow for the rebs, & I don’t think the day is far distant when Richmond will be ours too, but we must wait patiently & time will surely bring us a victory & peace. When we are out on picket we don’t get papers, we have grain when on picket the same as in camp but no hay, but the clover is up knee high and we bait on that. We cut it with a jack knife & carry to our horses. We get milk for coffee & sugar & have soft bread most of the time. We draw a few potatoes but we buy more than we draw. We saw some hungry days while on that raid but now we are fatting up again. I suppose I will have some wool from my sheep and you will want to know what to do with it. Sell it for all you can get & pay Harman Kelly. Take your time to sell it when you think you can do the best with it & see that Harman puts up flat stones at Fathers, Mothers & Betsies graves. He agreed to do it but I don’t recollect as I have ever heard as it was done & I hope my money will go through all right. I’ve sent you fifty dollars 20 in a letter to Jonas & 30 in a letter to you, well I’ve got to go to dinner now.
5 oclock P.M. I’ve just gone out on post to stand 2 hours, then I’m off 6 hours. I am sitting on my horse & when he wiggles I make bad letters. This afternoon I’ve washed two shirts, helped catch a cow and milk her & caught 2 fish. Please send some more pepper its pretty good stuff to have here when we have nothing else but salt for seasoning. May asked in a letter a while ago if I had ever fired a gun from my horse. I never have, but I was with a squad of 24 one night while on that raid & we were fired upon from a squad 10 or 15 rods off none of the shots hit us but our horses wheeled & wanted to run but we soon formed them in line again. (The little Punkeys or Gnats bite me so like—that I must stop writing)
Wednesday morn the 27th
And when in line we were in 2 ranks, front & rear rank. I happened to be in the rear rank, we advance to where the firing was but no one was there but in a few minutes we heard the tramp of horses coming some 20 or 30 rods off. We halted them but they paid no attention to it & the Lieut in command of us ordered the front rank to fire which they did & that was the last we heard from them, but perhaps we would if  we had stayed long there. This is the only time I’ve been fired upon & the nearest I’ve ever come to firing. This morning I rode out half a mile & got 2 canteens of milk (a canteen holds about 3 pints) they aske 25 cts a canteen for it but I let the Lady have 2 pocket handkerchiefs that I brought from home that were white once. I got 50 cts in money besides the milk. I had never used the Handkerchiefs but carried them in my Overcoat pocket & they were some dirty. How is Uncle Steven Southwick this spring and Aunt Waity. Peaches here as large as my thumb.
[sideways] How do you like such a mixed up mess.
I think there must be 4 or 5 letters from you on the way. I wish I had them so I could reply. Those flowers that I enclose I picked on the bank of the Rappahannock where a Squadron of us forded & got hay & Wheat for our horses. I had to put them into my diary in a hurry for the order, Attention was given which means every man instantly to his horse, but if they are jammed some they are Va flowers still. I wish you could see this Cavalry force. We march 4 abreast & the Column is called 8 miles long. That is with the Artillery & mules & a few wagons that accompany us. It commences to rain again. Did Joe let you have my Diary that I sent. I never thought to ask him. Write often and Direct as before.
From your Soldier Brother
K. Pearsons
Wm. & Harriett

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

[envelope reverse]
Bealton Sta
May 27 1863

Bealton Station
May 28, 1863

KP2025.001.054

Bealton [Bealeton] Station, May 28th [1863]
Last night we returned to this place. I found a letter from home No. 31. I would be glad to hear Howe speak again but ask I cannot hear him now you must go for me occasionally & I’ll make it right with you when I get home. To day makes me a nine months Soldier & I am all right yet black & saucy, tough & hearty & those that prophesied that I could not stand a Soldiers life have proved to be false prophets. Wm how does it seem to be without a farm, or to not own a farm. I think you are getting a good price for taking care of Vosburghs horse. I wish you could have such a job the year round. Harriet, I’ve read about half of those banners & have got the rest yet keeping them till I can read them. I don’t think Joe or I will want any more fruit this summer for we can get cherries & strawberries & then peaches then pears & apples & there will be lots of blackberries & wild grapes every where in Va. When we want anything we will send for it. I see by the papers that Vicksburgh [Vicksburg] is not yet taken but that our forces were sure of taking it. We have been reinforced this week there is a large force of Cavalry here now 2 Artillery the cars come through daily now from Alexandria & a mail daily too, so send on your letters. That letter did go quick. How many sheep & lambs have I got? What is dry goods & groceries a going at in Gowanda now. All’s quiet here now but I can’t tell how long it will be quiet. I wish I could see Alice. You must go & see her for me Harriet but not stay but a little while for twill tire her.
Yours Truly
K. Pearsons
[sideways first page] These flowers grow on little bushes ½ doz or more in a cluster. Are very handsome the stems are pink.