62
Culpeper C.H. Virginia Sept the 11
Dear Companion
I again take my pen to drop you a short scri
ble to let you now that I am quite well and
hope when this reaches your distant hand
it may find you all well. I have nothing of
interest to write in fat I have not time.
I wrote to you last sabath at richmond.
We left richmond tuseday eavning and reached
this plase to day with two broken down wa
gons and will have to remain here untell
to morough to get the wagons fixed we keep
about 75 Miles behind the regment & some times
think we never will over take them they have
Crossed over in Meriland they say here Long
Streets Division is over and our regment belongs
to that. They Clean them out as they got our regment
was in one fight. but I can not here the Caus
ualiety their was one of our Company killed
and another was wounded and since has had his
Arm Amputated Waters was killed and Charles
smith wounded, the last big fight I have
never herd whether our reg was ingaged or
not. but I have saw men from the fight they
say they Could of walked on the yankeys for ten
miles and never tuched the ground but I do not belive it
[page 2]
I have today passed over the batle field
of Ceder Hill their is a great many horses
lying their and the graves of a good many men
I could se their feet [or?] and one of their heads
Sticking out that never was covered I did not
stop to wimpathise I have lost all simpaty
for them if i ever hand any. they had no bui
sness here on our soil, old Mc.land was
killed over at the fight at or ner Manasas
Pope teligraphed to Washington for the dandys
to come our and see him take Gacson for [1]
he had him surounded but Gacson sent
a detachment and took the dandies prisners
and cut his way out the dandies is down
here now and will soon be marched off to
richmond for safe keeping. I can not say how
thease men came to be here but one thing cirtain
their is a parcel of the Hesians down here in a
lot and the [above?] is what they tell me virginia
is ruined it looks desolate now and then you
can come to a house where some person lives but
you can not see a fense or any thing growing hardly
it would make any man fight to here the
people tell how the stole their horses Cows hogs
sheep and Cickens and halled off their corn &c
[the remainder of the letter is written top to bottom across page 2]
I saw Baylus Watkins at Gordons Ville he is sick and has
bin for some time he looks badly but was gouing about I have
not saw William yet but hope I will soon if I have no bad luck
I think he is in our brigade I herd J.W. was in the 7th regment
Ema to day is sunday I have bin at work all day I would rather be
in [???] at Church but must [sufer?] it to be so now but I think we
will bring this war to a close now before long if we had Gacksons
enough I think he is aiming for Washington. I must close for this
time we have a large Mail we got to day here I think their must be one for
me as I have not herd from you by leter since Col Watkins Came
down their is no Cirtainty in the male but Write soon and dr[ect?]
to richmond as before so I remain your true and loving
husband as ever I will frank this leter as they are more apt
to go give my respects to all inquring William A Martin
friends To R E Martin