Fort Wadsworth, Va. ¹
October 7th 1864
Dear Aunt [Mary P. Brown],
I received your letter of the 30th of September and was very glad to hear from you and I will improve the present opportunity in answering it although I have not much news to write. A soldier’s life is dull business when lying in camp and we do not have much of anything to write about which would be interesting.
There has been considerable fighting in this vicinity lately but our brigade has not been engaged. I suppose they left us out because we are garrisoning these forts. The name of our fort has been changed from Fort Duain [Duane] to Fort Wadsworth. Our line has been advanced within the last week to within a mile and a half of the Lynchburg Railroad and it looks to me as though as had the Rebs pretty well bagged. Old Lee better be looking about him for he may get gobbled up one of these fine mornings.
We were paid off on the 27th of September. My pay amounted to ninety dollars, seventy-five of which I sent to you to have put in the bank. The Captain took it to City Point and expressed it from there to N. York and from there it was to go by mail. Do you know how much I have sent in all? I have forgotten and I have kept no account of it as I should have done.
I received a letter from Wilber a few days ago. The folks were all as well as usual. He is going to the Academy this fall and getting along finely with his studies. They are expecting Aunt Petsey and Mary up there to move into their new house the first of this month.
My health is good at present. Give my love to all the folks and accept a good share yourself. Write often. From your nephew, — Albert C. Brown
¹ Fort Wadsworth was established on 18 Aug 1864 immediately after the Union capture of the Weldon Railroad south of Petersburg. The Weldon Railroad was a major supply line from the south into Petersburg. It was captured and destroyed by Union forces during the Battle of the Weldon Railroad on 18 Aug 1864. Fort Wadsworth was built to prevent the reestablishment of the rail line and as a temporary anchor for the west side of the Union seige line. The fort was built as a rectangle with four large bastions protruding from the corners. Each bastion could mount up to three cannon and the fort could be defended from attack in any direction. [Wikipedia]
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