Spotsylvany C. H.
may 20th /64 va
Dear son
I received yours the
10th and was glad to hear from
you it is so seldom that I ever
heare from home I am sorry to
informe you that I am verry
sick at this time I have ben very
unwell for several Days I fear
I am going to have A searvear
Spell before I get better but
I hope I will recover soon it
has ben from exposure I think it
has ben very bad weather heare for
the past weak leaveing our winter
quarters and being exposed to the
wet ground is the cause of me
suffering so I think, after we
left camp for 5 or 6 Days was very
Dry and warm and then it commenc
raining and it rained for A weak
but to Day is A pretty Day I
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hope it will continue to be so
if I was with you I could tell
you the newes concerning the
campain witch is going on heare
but I cant give you A
feull history of it in riteing
but I can tell you we have
had one of the bloodiest campan
so far that ever has ben since
the war theare has bin harder
fighting than we have ever
had yet the yankees have ben
more stuborn and Detirmin
then they ever have ben with
us we have lost A great
many men out of our Army
but they say nothi[n]g to what
the yankees have lost our regt
has ben in two very harde
battles since we left camp
and sufferd serverley in
wounded but not many kiled
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the first fight thay lost 10
kiled and 84 wounded but the
most of them was slite som
very slite it was on the 5th and 6th
of this month the last fight was
on the 12th our regt had som
60 wounded and som 8 or 10 kiled
that they no off but theare
is several that is mising they
cant tell how many is kiled for
cirtain thay have ben in
line of battle for 15 Days
night and Day they have fighting
every Day more or less untell
to Day theare has ben noe
firing up to this time 12 oclock
but they may commence before
night thear was not much
yesterday untill in the evening
late and they comence and fought
untill after night som times
they fight all night but
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they have not Don much Damage
Sofar in fighting at night the
two Armys are in sight of each
other all the time our men
Just lay in theare brest works
and waits for them to charge
I no but very little About the battle
field as I am at the hospittle
som thing neare 2 miles from the
line I have ben very buisey
atending to the wonded untill
I was compelld to take my
bed but I hope I will get
better in A few Days if not
I think I shall go to richmond
or sum other hospittle if we
have to leave heare soon I Dont no how
I will get Alonge rite as soon
as you get this and give me the
news give my love to all of
the familey I remain your
affectionate Farther till Death
W. W. Slater