September the 16 1862 [1]
Dear Mother Brothers and Sisters it is with pleasure
that I Seet my self to inform you that I am
well though I am very tired at this time we
have been marching 16 days and part of the time
in the nite for we have marched three nites
in the 16 days I will inform you that we are
in the State of maryland we crost the river
the seventh of the month near Leasburg town
we marched A day or to and the yankees was About
to surround us and we made our escape back
Acrous the river then we went towards harpes
farry our men toock the place yesderday and
we toock 14 thousand prisners and evry thing to
teagious to mension I was not in the fight but
was in two or three mils of the place and to
day we crosted the potomac which makes the third
time that I have waded that river we have
crost sevrel rivers an had to wade them all
because the yankees burnt the bridges my feet
is very sore I have got A sorry pare of shoos
but I have marched About A hundered an fifty
mils bare footed Across the mountins an rocks
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we have got up with Stone wall Jackson and
will keep folering the yankees all the time
I think Mother thair is chance to send Letters
now thair is A man going home from duffy
company and it is the only chance to send one
Dear Mother I hop if we never see each other
Agane that we may meet in heaven
my Letter is short but it is turning dark
so I must come to A close tell all the family
houdy for me an the neighbors to an tell
evry body to preay for me so content your
self the best you can I fare as well as could
be expected I remain your Loving son
untell death
your in christ
John W Williams
if you can get any chance to send
A Letter to me do so and I will write
evry chance. Good by Dear Mother [2]