Camp Machanicks vill va
May the 19th 1863 [1]
Dear father I take this oppor
tunity of droping you a few
lines to let you no that I am
Still on the land of living
yet I am unWell at this
time I hav the diarear but I
am better to day We hav bin
I hav bin in line of battle for
20 days all is quiet to day
as far as i know We hav bin
marching and fighting for 23 or
four days the 7 Regtmen Was in
a fight on the 23rd third We Was
left to guard a brig across
the north anna river the yan
kees flanked us on our left
you ought to a Saw us run
ing tha only had one place
to get out or Wade the river
Som Went to the bridg and
the rest took the river Wherev
they can to
[page 2]
We lost one man out of the
company Rastus olliver he
Was Wounded We lost
26 out of the Regtment 13
wounded and 13 taken prisoner
som of the yanks crossed the
river after us but they did
not get back We coverd the
ground With them We hav
had the hardest fighting that
We ever had and it aint
over yet I hav not herd from
andrew since he Was Wounded J H [2]
Alewine is Well and my mess
is Well and harty for the
Chance We hav had Wel I believe
I Wil close I received a letter the
other day I Was glad to hear from
home and tha you Was all Wel
but you suprised me very
much about maring but I
hav no objections I like for ev
one to plas them selves