comfortable place in the Carolinas or Georgia, and all board together.
If Mildred goes to school at Raleigh, why not go there? It is a good
opportunity to try a warmer climate for your rheumatism. If I thought
our enemies would not make a vigorous move against Richmond, I would
recommend to rent a house there. But under these circumstances I
would not feel as if you were permanently located if there. I am
ignorant where I shall be. In the field somewhere, I suspect, so I
have little hope of being with you, though I hope to be able to see
you.... I heard from Fitzhugh the other day. He is well, though his
command is greatly reduced by sickness. I wished much to bring him
with me; but there is too much cavalry on this line now, and I am
dismounting them. I could not, therefore, order more. The weather
is almost as bas here as in the mountains I left. There was a drenching
rain yesterday, and as I had left my overcoat in camp I was thoroughly
wet from head to foot. It has been raining ever since and is now
coming down with a will. But I have my clothes out on the bushes and
they will be well washed.

"The force of the enemy, by a few prisoners captured yesterday and
civilians on the road, is put down from 17,000 to 20,000. Some went
as high as 22,000. General Floyd thinks 18,000. I do not think it
exceeds 9,000 or 10,000, though it exceeds ours. I wish he had
attacked us, as I believe he would have been repulsed with great loss.
His plan was to attack us at all points at the same time. The rumbling
of his wheels, etc., was heard by our pickets, but as that was customary
at night in the moving and placing of his cannon, the officer of the
day to whom it was reported paid no particular attention to it,
supposing it to be a preparation for attack in the morning. When day
appeared, the bird had flown, and the misfortune was that the reduced
condition of our horses for want of provender, exposure to cold rains