Virginia July the 23rd 1862
Dear and Beeloved wife I this
Day take the plesur to rite to
you to inform you that I am
in good helth exscept my Back
and rite hip my Back has Been
hurting me verry Bad for 2 Days
[???] [??] I waunt to see you [1]
and my Dear little children
verry Bad I would give all
that I have got in this world
world if I Could go home
and Stay with you and my
Dear Children and I hope that
the time is Not far ahead
when I Shal go home to Stay
with you and them though I
hear No talk of peas Beeing maid
But I hope that the time is Close
at hand when peace will
Bee maid Ann Elizer I
waunt you to rite to me how
you and my little children ar
giting along and rite how
you ar making out for
[page 2]
provisions and ef Any Boddy has
imposed on you in Any way I
wount to No it and I wount
you to rite me if your
mother and Burthia is living with
you yet or No and rite to me
if you and the children has Been
well all the time Since I
left home or Not you Dont
No Nothing About hard times
St Some times we have
to faist 1 Day and Nite and
Some times 2 Days we have
to march pretty Nigh every
Day we ar Now about 80
mils from richmond and tha
Say that we will Stay hear 2
or three Days and then well
we will go on farther I Dont
No where we will go But
I hope that we will Not git
No farther from home we ar
at averry good plaice Now
to Cap Camp the helth of
[page 3]
our Company is only tolerble
good ther was 2 men Dezerted
from our Company last
Sundy tha was William
Prince and James Rice we have
Not heard from them Since tha
left I exspect tha went home
tha Both live in Chambers County
Our Regment is attacht to
General tollivers Brig
aid I wount you to Do the
Best you Can and I will
Send you Some money as Soon as I
Draw my waiges I Caint tell
when we will Draw our
money I Dont wount you to
Send me Any Clothing till
I Send for them I have
have got as many Clothing
as I Can Carry with me I
have got 2 Blankets and over
Coat we have to take the wether
as it Comes we have Not got
No tents and we have all
[page 4]
of our Bed Clothing and waring
Clothing and provisions to toat
when we have Any I wount
you to Remember me if or you
if you on erth No more I See
the time has Been Sweet have
I have spent with the and if
I Could of Spend the remaing
Days of my lif with the I
would Bee as happy as Any
Boddy Could Bee on this Erth
and if I Could See you and
my little children one more time
it would Be atime of rejoy
rejoysing to me and I pray that
the lord my Stand By you and
help you to bar your trubbles
and I Dont wount you to take
it No harder than you Can
help hug and kiss all the
Children for me and tell them
that tha must love oneanother
So good By to my loveley wife for
this time E B Coggin 47th Ala
Regt Vol Company H