September the 11 1862
Dear father and mother and Sister
I take my pen in hand to drop yow
a few lines to let you know that I am
well at present hopeing when theas
few lines Comes to hand they may find
you enjoying the same kind blessing
I am at petersburg now I came hear
last night it is about 22 mils from Richmon
I am 500 hundred mils from home we
are gowing to start to Richmon this
eaving I cant tell you weather we will
Stop their or not they Say hear we
Cant get to our Regment for they yankee
will take us they say they yankee tuck
four hundred of our men they was
gowing to Jackson armony They
had no arms thomson say if we
dont go to his Regment we Shant
go to now owther one Jackson is in
marland near baltimore our Regment
is about 30 mils behind him
[page 2]
keeping up his men I tell yow we
Staid all day in weldon yesteday weldon
is aright pretty place they brige is eight
hondred and forty yards long it is
alarge brige it is Reported that they
Small pox is in Richmon I have
Seen agrate deal Sceince I left home
I went this morning up to headquarters to
inqire from the 23 Regment it was
about 1 mile from where I was this
a large place ever things is high chickens is
worth 75 cent the sise of patterage
theas half Sise pys is 25 cents for
two we draw planty of cracker and
bacon bwt they cracker is So hard
we Cant eat I bawght aloaf this moring
I paid ten cents for it it was cheap
anowgh I think when we get our
Stoping place we will fare better I
cant grumel yet we will draw
loaf and meat to gow to Richmon
theas eaving we are about three mils
[page 3]
[??] I dont Supose we will get to
See them Some Says that we
will Stop in Richmon and drill
awhile I dont know weather we
will or not I Saw 11 yankees in
weldon yester one of them Said
that they thouwght they wood be
pace before long they ask what
was his Reasin for it he Seaid
that he thaught boath Side was
getting tird of it he Seaid he
had ben out 18 month he
Seem to be Satified of it he
was a gettle looking felow they
was caturd last Sonday in
Johnson County in N C they
was out as pickets So that
anowghf on that Subjeck
tell granmother that I am
well tell uncil bills I am
well I Send them my best
Respect and howdy to them
[page 4]
tell grany I wood like to See
them all once more I am
tollibol Satisfied I dont exspect
I will be exam before I gow
to my Regment I think mabe
I will get when I am examin
thomson says one discharge
from the Regement is worth
a half dosin from the camps of
instructions

So I must bring
my letter to aclose by
Saying farewell for
awhile I want you to
Right when I Stop

To Thomas Brotherton
from Williams Brotherton
I wrote this in a heury