Kelly, James R. (fl. 1861-1862) to Mary Kelly

Camp at the paw paw Tunnel VA Feb 12/62
I have only time mite you write today, I told you in my last letter written at North Branch bridge, that the regiment was then under marching orders - On the night of the 5th , our regiment embarked on Board of along train of stock case - cold and filthy, and moved slowly, & cautiously, down the Road to the junction of the South Branch - five Rivers come together and from the main Potomac, at the junction theses is another large [illegible] bridge, the train the South Branch after crossing the bridge, the train stoped [sic] and we were dumped out in an open field, little after midnight, without [illegible], or anything to make the men [insert] agreeable, the night was intensively cold, & 4 inch of snow on the ground, the men however soon had large fires blazing [entire line illegible], and oak, Rails burned finely, and they were not Spaining [sic] of the [illegible] then stowed into another Stock Train, and shiped [sic ]to this camp, where [illegible] remained in the snow and mud two days-[illegible] without [illegible], in the mean time I had taken a severe cold, with pain in my head and back - atlast [sic] our [illegible] comes and the boy pitched them yesterday [illegible] are comfortable again, after all this trouble & exposure we are now only 16 mulls East of our old camp, we have to wait here for the building and repairing of bridges between here and hand [illegible] the bridge is down at Big Capin, and two or three other places-men are now employed Repairing them, as soon as that is down we will move down the road again, which will take place in afew [sic] days-for the las three days I have been to unwell to anything, tho [sic], I feel much better today, we are now constantly under marchinf orders, with three days rations cooked, your letter of the 30th January come to hand several days ago, tho, I could not answer it sooner I read our fron George of the 7th inst, by last mail, it seems he had a good long stay at home, The news from Kentucky is still chering [sic] - and we have most refreshing news this morning from Ronoke Island, and the Burnside expedition, the island had been taken with & thousanf prisoners, Gen O, G, wise among them,
I must close and [illegible] this letter or the boys are now preparing the march, and I must go with them George told me that John had paid you another visit, I was pleased to hear it, he told me in a letter not long since to all at home, and especially [illegible] and Siss let me hear from you often, Good by at the present,
Yours most truly
JasR Kelly