found in some Caward family papers - a letter written by G. B. DIXON, Co B 2nd US Light Artillery and thought this might be of interest to someone on the list. Camp Winfield Scott Near Yorktown Va April 20, 1862 Friend Caward - To commence in a novel style - I am seated neath a tarpolin on my blanket with Birt sleeping in the rear while a company of boys card playing for tobacco fill the front. Tis a wet day though not cold away down here in sacred VA. Your letter was rec'd in due time & I would have answered it accordingly but that we were expecting to move & moving continually. We broke Camp at Washington March 10th & were put on detached service in the 2nd regt. U. S. light artillery. We were in the march to Manhassas but only went to Fairfax Court House as the rebels fell back without showing fight. The 13th we fell back to Alexandria & lay in camp till the 30th then broke camp again & embarked for Fortress Monroe. We anchored off the Ft. at 12 noon Tuesday April 1st. We lay at anchor thill Thursday near sundown when we commenced disembarking. We rode out about two miles from the Ft. & tied our horses & lay down amid the ruins of Hampton. Hampton has been a splendid town but they left not one house untouched; even the oldest church in VA was demolished. It has been a church that would do jjustice to a Northern town. The Rebels in their flight from Hampton burned the farm houses all along the road for some distance. We leave Hampton at 12 on the 4th & encamped on the field where the catastrophe of Big Bethel took place & made our camp at 10 PM. Called at 4 AM & break camp at 6 AM. We march slowly all day till 8 PM & encamp on a fine plantation covered with soldiers. We passed good Rebel quarters just dark: They have had fine log houses & many of them whitewashed. We came across Cousin Clark Taylor of the Mich. 2nd today. We see plenty of cattle, sheep & hogs around this morning (the 6th) & the soldiers are helping themselves to fresh meat. We break camp again on the 13th & advance nearer Barktown & encamp on the ground on which Lord Cornwallis surrendered to Washington & are still here. >From all accounts Yorktown is well fortified & if the Rebels make a bold stand they will make us some trouble before we get there but nevertheless we must have it at the cost of labor & life. We look (or took?) a picket now & then & capture a few prisoners occasionally. Our balloon was very busy yesterday making ascensions in different places. It must be rather provoking to an enemy to have a man rise up in spite of them & survey all their maneuvers. We have fine warm weather now & if you were here to see us sweat on drill you might think it no easy work. The boys are all well & we all enjoy the campaign. Marv has been cooking for the past three weeks. Each man has to take his turn in cooking for twenty days at a time. Will write on the receipt of this & direct to G. R. Dixon Camp Winfield Scott, Near Yorktown VA Co B 2nd U S Light Artillery Care Capt. Robertson Give my respects to all your folks & tell Gill my address & that I shall expect an answer to the letters I wrote her from Alexandria. Birt says tell you he is well & expects to have a fight soon. Remember me as a friend & write soon from your old friend G B Dixon