Will Fisher to his brother
Fairfax Station
December 21, 1862

Dear Brother,

I suppose you have come to the conclusion that I have forgotten you entirely, but that is not the case, but the fact is that I have not been so that I could write, for on the 10th instant we got marching orders & so did all of the troops around the Ferry. So the next morning about 8 o’clock we bid farewell to our winter quarters & started with packed knapsacks down the valley toward Hillsboro which is about 12 miles. We still kept on, stopping a little beyond Wheatland for the night, making in all about 15 miles. We was pretty tired & lame.
The next morning we were on the road again at 5 o’clock & by 9 we were at Leesburg. By night we had made 21 miles. The next day we made about 18 miles & stopped for the night quite early. We had then got a little ways from Centreville on the turnpike.
The next day being Sunday we expected to rest but we were not allowed to do this for we had to get up & start. About noon we passed through Fairfax Court House. We stopped then a few minutes & who should I see come along horse back but Frank Ketchum. He is medical Director of Gen. Stoughton’s Division with the rank of a major.
About a quarter of a mile beyond we came on to the camp of the 14th Vermont Regt. & there we saw Bill Smart. He looks well. We went on 3 miles further to Fairfax Station & there stopped for the night. Bill Smart after having service saddled his horse & came on after us. I had quite a visit that night with him.
The next morning we started again leaving the Station about 8 o’clock. We only made about 10 miles, stopping for the night 2 miles beyond the Occoqoan River.
During the night it commenced raining & we were right out in the open field without any tents & by morning we were pretty well ducked & our blankets were all wet. You may believe they was pretty heavy & we had two apiece.
About 8 o’clock we started off again. This was the toughest part of the march for the mud was half a foot deep every step. The artillery & the wagons were clear up to the hubs in the mud. This day we marched to within 2 miles of Dumfries & 20 miles of Fredericksburg. At this place the Rebels stopped our advance & we got news of Burnside’s disaster so we turned back & marched clear back to Fairfax Station where we have been ever since, having a good time & a good rest. Our march lasted 7 days & when we got through we had thrown away a good many of our things.
You were mistaken about our being in Cain’s Division. We are in Kane’s Brigade & Gen. William’s Division & in the 12th Corps formerly under Banks, now commanded by Gen. Slocum.
We left some of our boys sick at the old camp at the Ferry & among them was Jim Sherman who had a bad cold & Tom Andrew Wier, Jesse Wood, Peter Darrow, Derry Eldridge & Lieut. Jim Hill, about 150 in all & after we left there was about 400 Rebel cavalry made a raid on the place & took them all prisoners & paroled them on the spot. I reckon it made them look rather wild.
But I must close. I will write more another time.

From your brother, Will G. F.