camp near culpeper va

November the 14 1862
Dear fathe i take the opertunity to Wright
you afew lines to let you no that i am Well at
this time and hoping When thes few lines comes to
hand they may find you enJoying the same
blesing i received your letter which was dated
the 20 of october and i also recieved one from J
aleWine and one from mary Jane i Was glad
to hear from home and to hear that you ar
all Well and to hear that James ale wine is do
ing so well for it Was the first time that i
hav got a letter from hom since Will iam Hark
ness came back We hav saw some hard times
sence i Wrote last We had some hard march
ing to do We marched from Winchester to culpeper
in four days We marched 20 miles a day it Was
the hardes marching that i ever don since i hav
bin in the army and had but little to eat and
no time to cook it , We do not fare much better
now for We draw too days rashing and eat
up in one We can not bie eney thing about hear
the health of our regment is tolerable good
at this times We hav lost too men out of our
company the names is Ezekle Strickland and
John richerson is both dead We hav some more
that We hav not herd from since the battle
of Sharps burg Som that was Wounded ther has died
James E Stevenson is dead and Severals others
ther had bin some fighting up hear last weak General
Jackson has Whipt the yankees again We hav bin
under marching orders for som time their is Som talk
of us going to South carolina but i do not think
We Will go ther but wil go som Wher South
[page 2]
We hav drawd our money i drawd one hundred
and five dollar i wold be glad if you had part of
it at home for it is mor money than i lik to cary at
one time fo they hav got to Stealing from one another
We hav got our unaform and i like it fine but
it looks too much like the yankees they ar blue pants
and black coats We did not get it before we needed it
the Weather has bin very coald We hav had one Snow We
stand in need of Blakets and Shoos Wors than eney thing
els their was an order read out yisteer day that
for the men to keep fires Burning all day and rake
away the ashes and Sleep ther at knight and make
Shoos out of rawhids it looks like the south Will
soon Whip it self , Well you wanted to no if i
wanted eney cloths i Want a Shirt and a pair of drawers
and a Jacket and too or three pair socks and a pair
Boots if you can get them , if not send a pair shoos for ther is
no chance to get eney here and send me som Brandy if you
pleas and a hat , you Wanted to no if S M Bowen had
Paid or not he has not paid yet i recon you Want
to no how We maid our Bargin as i hav not told eney
Body yet he Was to pay me for what time i worked
which i consider Worth about fifteen or eighteen dollars
the Bargin Was that we wold Settle it ourselvs if we
live to get home But if mr Bowen amind to pay you
i am willing for you and him to settle it if you
need eney money let me and i will send you some i Will
Send R P Watch to you the first chanc i get [1]
and his money i Wold like Brig it home But ther
chance to get their it looks lik they dont in tend
us to get home iam a going come the first chance i
get i geting most miserble tiard of the War and liv
ing on half rashings and sleeping on the ground With one
Blaket to ly on and one to cover with
[end of letter]