January 27, 1863
Title
January 27, 1863
Subject
From George Murray to his parents, dated 27JAN1863, Falmouth. Discusses troop movements, and not being allowed to light fires. Put up pontoon bridges. Asks for postage stamps. Mentions rebel sign: "Burnside stuck in the mud. Who got stuck in the mud? Burnside." Doesn't think Burnside will ever be able to command the army. In pencil on folder stationary, crest at top. Faded, yellowed, and stained. Torn along the folds. Pencil scribbles on the inside.
UNIT ASSOCIATION: 114th PA Infantry
-Information provided by the courtesy of the National Park Service
UNIT ASSOCIATION: 114th PA Infantry
-Information provided by the courtesy of the National Park Service
Description
Falmouth Va Jan 27th 1863
Dear Mother,
Your letter of the 20th inst came to hand a few days ago, and as it is raining today, I thought I would answer it. I was very glad to hear from you. I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same. Pap was down last Sunday, he said that he thought he would stay another week. Cas Gentry is very poorly, I make him as comfortable as possible, which is not much in these little doghouses of ours. Last Tuesday we marched about fifteen miles from camp and at night encamped in a pine woods. We were not
allowed to knidle any fires for fear that the rebels might know that we were about; about eleven o'clock the rain began to fall no comfort for the rest of the night the next morning we got up and knidled some fires and got about half dry when we were ordered to pack up and fall in we then marched out of the woods. We were then ordered to reverse our arms and stick them up in the ground and unsling knapsacks and go to work and pull the pontoons out of the mud. We worked the most of that day up to our knees in mud when the Col. seeing that we were getting our splendid clothes muddy ordered us to drop all and leave the old things in the mud. They then marched back to the pine woods were we laid all night. Friday we started for and reached our old camp after a laborous march through the mud. The rebels stuck up a board on the other side of the river with Burnside stuck in the mud. It is a common saying among the boys "who got stuck in the mud" "Burnside." Send me some postage stamps as mine got stuck fast not exactly in the mud but to my pocket book as that side of me got wet. I think Burnside will never be able to command this army.
Yours
G. Murray
-Transcript provided by the courtesy of the National Park Service
Dear Mother,
Your letter of the 20th inst came to hand a few days ago, and as it is raining today, I thought I would answer it. I was very glad to hear from you. I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same. Pap was down last Sunday, he said that he thought he would stay another week. Cas Gentry is very poorly, I make him as comfortable as possible, which is not much in these little doghouses of ours. Last Tuesday we marched about fifteen miles from camp and at night encamped in a pine woods. We were not
allowed to knidle any fires for fear that the rebels might know that we were about; about eleven o'clock the rain began to fall no comfort for the rest of the night the next morning we got up and knidled some fires and got about half dry when we were ordered to pack up and fall in we then marched out of the woods. We were then ordered to reverse our arms and stick them up in the ground and unsling knapsacks and go to work and pull the pontoons out of the mud. We worked the most of that day up to our knees in mud when the Col. seeing that we were getting our splendid clothes muddy ordered us to drop all and leave the old things in the mud. They then marched back to the pine woods were we laid all night. Friday we started for and reached our old camp after a laborous march through the mud. The rebels stuck up a board on the other side of the river with Burnside stuck in the mud. It is a common saying among the boys "who got stuck in the mud" "Burnside." Send me some postage stamps as mine got stuck fast not exactly in the mud but to my pocket book as that side of me got wet. I think Burnside will never be able to command this army.
Yours
G. Murray
-Transcript provided by the courtesy of the National Park Service
Creator
George Murray
Date
January 27, 1863
Files
Collection
Citation
George Murray , “January 27, 1863,” Slaughter-Murray Papers, accessed April 17, 2026, https://slaughtermurray.umwhistory.org/items/show/53.