The following letter was written by Orlando S. Edward (1844-1863) who enlisted on 25 August 1862 in Co. K, 127th New York Infantry—a regiment known as the National Volunteers or Monitors that was raised on Long Island and in New York city. He was transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps, November 28, 1863 and died on 27 December 1863 at the age of 19. His parents were Abraham Edwards (1795-1858) and Lucy A. Downs (1819-1878).

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Camp Bliss [Upton’s Hill, Virginia]
November 13th 1862

Dear Friends,

I received a letter from you Tuesday night which was received as all others are, with a rush who has got a letter? I have got a letter! Until I get one, they may go to thunder with their letters. This is the way the soldiers are excited when the mail comes (I tell you they are God senders). There is not much excitement in camp at present. There was a death in the 127th [New York] last Tuesday. I attended the burial. It was a still time amongst the brigade, it being the first death that has been in. They took him to Falls Church and buried him about one mile west. There is a number of New York boys buried here that died last winter from this hill.

We fixed up our tents yesterday and you would have laughed to have seen us perform. In the first place, we went to the woods (Ha! I lied there for there hain’t any woods in sight). It was merely an old clearing and there we found some chestnut sticks. We found them that were about afoot through and split them in two and then flattened the other side and we had what we called a plank. We backed twelve of these to camp and staked out our ground which was 14 foot long and 8 wide and set our planks up edge ways, three on a side, and staked them to their place. We then put up two crotches in the center and put a ridge pole across and spread our canvas and then down to the sides. We then took some Virginia soil and made some mortar (which by the way is most grand on the account of its sticking qualities) and plastered up the holes and our shanty was finished and a nice one it was—the best one on the ground. Don’t we feel proud over it. We slept like pigs in the clover last night.

We are drilling pretty thorough about this time. We drill in company drill about two hours in the forenoon and two hours battalion drill in the p.m. We have brigade drill twice a week—four regiments drill together then. We had a severe snow storm here last week which lasted two days. The snow fell five inches deep. This is a splendid warm country.

If you are a mind to, you may send a pair of woolen stockings and a good pair of good buckskin gloves lined for it is most thundering cold down in Dixie. I must go to roost for it is 9 o’clock and the lights have been ordered out. So goodbye, — Orlando

Bully for the dry camp. We had election in our company. It went 22 majority Wadworth.