December 19, 1862
Princeton, Va., Dec. 14, 1862.
For the last four or five days the weather has been fine and the men have taken advantage of them to construct comfortable winter quarters.
Our new General (Jones) has reached camp and assumed the duties and responsibilities of his new position. An officer from this command, who was at the Narrows when he arrived, and had an introduction, was very favorably impressed by his amenity of manner and soldier like bearing.
The counties adjacent seem to have awakened to the importance of providing for their soldiers, and contributions of clothing are already on route for camp. Greenbrier, Allegheny, and Botetourt are doing their duty in this particular. The Presbyterian congregation at Lewisburg, by a unanimous vote, donated their Church carpeting for blankets for the company in this regiment from Fayette county. This company is composed of refugees.--What we most need now are shoes; and I am sorry to say, the prospect that we will get them in season is not so flattering as the friend of the destitute, yet patient and heroic soldier, might wish.
I discover no tendency to despondency in this department of the army. The men are as cheerful as when they first entered the service, and no one ever dreams of giving up, except with his life.
The health of the camp is pretty good, though we have cases of pneumonia and camp fever.
A Rebel.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: December 1862