Make your local repository branch 1: -r 1.3.2.3. From there, do 'cvs up -A'. This will merge into your local copy all changes made to the head since you branched...I'm not quite sure you have the right command there.
The command you quoted is the same one I quoted: cvs -q up -A The difference is the -q for "quiet mode." Big deal, no effect on what the command does.
What you described, however, sounds like the command: cvs -q up -j HEAD. Is that what you meant?