Camp ner Starvation Spotsilvany County
Virginnia May The 18 1862

Dear friend i seat Myself for the
first time to Drop you a few lines
to let you no that i am well
and hoping when thes few lines com
to hand they may find you all well
i hant mutch news of importance to
to rite we are in six miles of Fred
cricks Burg and in fore miles from the
yankys we ar campin The woods and
old feilds all round us the picket
Brot in six prisners yesterday evning
they took them about fore miles a
Bov her we are alooking for abatle
every Day but i Dont think we
will ever hav one at this plase
they had a fight at york town this
weeak we took nine hundred prisners
i herd our loss i cant her whether
the 7 regiment was in the fight or not
the yank Took three of our men the
other Day wednsday wee got ordors to
March that the enemy
was advancing in Larg forces we
then had to pack up and start to
meet them we marched to Massapon [1]
ax Church then we stoped then we
got ordors to march Down the
[page 2]
Telagraph rode then started and
marched about five miles then
stoped for the knight we lay Down
with out eny thing to eat we
re main at the same plase yet
it is a mean plase ther is no
water ny i Dont think we will
Stay her miny Days it is verry
warm her it Dont rain mutch
her Wheat looks torable well the
farmers has Jeust commencts plan
ting corn this is a woren out part
of the contry the Best plase i hav
seen is at guineas station the land
ther fifty achors. is worth as much
as 150 such like as A.C Bowen it
all Bottom and the Best water
i ever saw ther is a heep of sickness
in camp ther is about three hundred
sick in camp this regiment
J.W. Milford is very sick with
the Diarear D Cleland ant well
B. Bowen has the measels morrison
has pains
[page 3]
i Dont like camp at all nor i
Dont think i ever will i had
rather Bee on the island as her
this way walking and toting
all on our Back is anof to kill
eny man ther is a heep troops
camp around her it looks ther is
men enof in the feild to Bring
starvation on Tho we git plenty
when we ant moving a Bout
we git Bacon flower Coffee sugar
we will Draw money in a few Days
cap miller is mackeing out the pay
roll now i wold like to Bee at
home with mary and my little
Children i mis them a grate deel
i hope the time will com when
we will all meet agein
[page 4]
i hant had to stand gard
but yonet sine i hav Been in
camp they Dont Drill ous [????]
our officers is easy on us i want
you to rite to me and tell
all the news and if the Draft
has com off or not. Hand this
to Mary and let her read it
i will Bring my leter to close
for the want of news to rite so noth
ing more at present only rem
ain your frend till Death
Will Boyd. to [addressee cut off in photocopy]