In Camp near Falmouth Va.
Jan 27th

My fond and loving mother I once more take my pen in hand to let you know that I am in good health hoping to find you the same thank God for it I received a letter last night dated Jan 22nd 1863 I was glad to hear that you and Richard are in good health and all the friends we got paid yesterday I got 26 dollars and 85 cts and I made no delay in writing this I sent 10 dollars in the letter it was just gone before I got your letter and now this one got to hurry up to get in as soon as the other so that you can make one job of the two I did not take no check for I thought it was better to send you the money When I receive an answer that you have got that you may be looking out for another one I have not got my express box yet nor dont know when I will but I expect I will get it some time I dont think much of anythin here for they do be half rotted before they get here I am now going to tell you about the great expetition we had in the mud we were under marching orders and received orders to march about 10 oclock on tuesday 20th and marched about three miles where we stopped in a piece of woods over night we got some rails to start a fire and I went to work and made myself a good strong cup of coffee and eat five of Burnsides cookies and then felt like as filing it was about eight oclock at night it was pretty near time to fix my quarters so Tim¹ Weldon² and me made the bed but we did not shake the feathers we spread a rubber blanket under us three woolen blankets over us and then laid down it comenced raining and we slep on the side of a hill an the water run down and got in on our rubber blanket and would not run of and Tim wakened up about 12 oclock and said we were all drowned and wanted Weldon and me to get up we told him we would not but he kept at us until we got up there was about 6 inches of water under us I went drying mv coat and instead of drying it I wet it for it continued on raining all night the next morning was wedensday the 21st we packed our duds and was bound for the Rappahannock river it was in mud knee deep it continued on raining all We marched in the rain about six miles where we put up in the woods all night The General marched us up and down through the mud for about two hours until the men were exhausted and the Colonel cried said Oh boys am I going to lose you all I wont say what was the matter with our General but you may guess what it was for he was warm and we were cold but that was nothing it was all a soldiers life it did not hurt Keenan any for he is a tough laddy buck Friday was a cloudy day and the boys were building codoroy roads and the mud was knee deep and the artillery could hardly move and our provision wagons were 6 miles from us and could not get any nearer on account of the mud there were 4 men sent out of our company 4 miles after some crackers and I was one of them and Weldon another there were 4 men out of the Regt. in all crackers were given out and the men took a box on there sholder to march 6 miles with it in mud and I started away without any for if I was a soldier I did not want to make a mule of myself I seen 2 horses hiched on to an empty wagon and could not get it out of the mud no more at present from your loving son

Jerimiah Keenan
to Mary Keenan

direct your letter as before