Camp near New Baltimore, VaSaturday night Nov. 15, 1862Dear Home,

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I am peculiarly happy this evening in getting two good letters from home in one envelope, one from father and the other from Minnie. If they had been one day later, I might not have got them for some time, as we have orders to move in the morning. It is very sad and discour aging to us chaplains that nearly all our sab- baths are spent in this way. Last Sunday and Sunday before last we were on the march

and I hardly had an opportunity to look at my Bible.

It wd not do any good I suppose, for me to try to tell you how little there is to encourage me here in the army. No chap- lain that I have talked with feels certain at all times that it is of any use for chaplains to be here. Some of them have been here for a month or two without an opportunity to hold a single meeting of any kind or do anything else as a minister, but they are compelled con stantly to listen to such profanity and obscenity from both officers and

men as not one ever hears at home except from drunken men. We can do nothing but pray. Do we have the prayers of the churches at home to help us as we ought?

I did not intend to write a complaining letter, but only to tell you that I am well and that there is but little sickness or suf- fering among the men as yet.

Love to all
from Edward

P.S. It will not do to print such a letter as this, but you have opportunity to call attention to such things in other ways.