Camp reserve Ritchmon August the 1st 1862
Dear father i Seat my Self to Wright you
a few lines to let you Know how We ar geting
a long We ar well at this time hopeing when
thes few lines coms to hand they may find
you all well i received your letter about a
Weak a go i Was glad to hear from home and to
hear that you Wer all well but i was sorry to
hear that brother William Was dead i did not
hear it til Ben Williams told me the news
he died the death that a great meny more of
us Wil half to die if this miserble war dont
Soon Stop it dos not lok like it Wil ever
end Well i hav not got much news to rite
at present we ar ly ing about drilling a
little the enemy is 30 miles from us on James
river We cold hear heavy cannonaiding this
morning down James River they was trying
com up With their gun boats the firing las
ted too or three hours We hav not herd from
them yet their is annother Big Battle expect
ed in Wester virginia they hav picket fighting
every day or too i think We will half to go
their before long for the yankees is moving their
troops their i dont think that their will be en
ey more fighting a round richmond for they
got So badly Whipt be fore they wil be a
fraid to attempt it again We ar tearing down
their breast works so if thay come they wil
half take the open field for it they
not hav time to build new ons the next
time they com for they wil half to fight
or get Whipt Wors than they ever got before
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Well the reasson i hav not rote to you sooner
i hav been sick i Was Sick a Weak with diarear
i Was ver Weak but i hav got Well again We hav
a great deal of Sickness in camp When We get sick
We half to stay in camp for they hav quit
Sending eney to the hospital We hav lost
Several men Since the fight i Wil giv you
names of som of them that hav died sice i last rote
my friend James E Simpson O A Norwood is
too that be long to our company frank Gasaway
is dead newton Bowen and a great men others
ther is from three to four hundred dies eve
ry day in richmond, richmond is one half
turnd into hospitals it is a disagreeable place
to be at times is geting very hard hear every
thing is high that is to sell i Wil give you
the prices coffee $25 per pound sugar $10 per pond
pork 50 cts pond beef 50 per pound melasses $150
galon potatoes 50 per quart unions $1 per dos
en appeals 50 per dosen chickens $140 apece
So you may guess how times is hear But
We hav got plenty of money and We Wil
liv While it last , i Want you to rite to me
Soon and giv me all the news and let me no Wheather
you have her from thomas [or] not and Whear he is
and i Want to no how mary and her chil dren is
I Want you to do the best you can for them
for they hav a hard road to travel through this
world if i live to get hom i tak cer of them
rite Soon as you get this giv my Respects
to all my friends tell unkel Bill and
murdock to rite to me So foar Well D Boyd to R Boyd