26th 1863
Richmond Va Feb the
My Dear and affectionet
Companion I set myself
to Drop you afew lins
to enform you that I am
in good helth at the
present time hoping that
those few lines may Come
to hand in Due time
and find you and all
the children well and
Doing well I hope that
those few lins may find
graney and Berthia [1]
 well I wount to see
you and the children
mitey Bad star I
will tell you something
about what times I have
seen we started to
[page 2]
Richmond last tuesday
and it snowed on us the
first Day and Night all
the time and we had
to take it as it Come and
had to march all Day
and at Night we had
to lay Down on the
snow and in the Cold
and then the Next Day
and Night it raind
on us all the time and the
mud and water was
from half l[eg?] to knee
Deep and we Come through
Richmond las Saturday
and it Snowed all
Night and all Day
aSunday it has Ben the
worst time that I ever
Saw in my life we
have marched 6 Days in
the mud and water and
Snow we Drawed some
spirts last Sunday
and Drunk for our
hethe helth and I think
that if it ever Dos Any
Boddy Any good
that it Dun us all some
good for we had Ben in
the rain and Snow
and Cold for six Days
and [??]ths and it
was the first spirts
that the gover ment had
ever given to us and
we ar Campt about one
mile and ahalf south of
Richmond and I suspect
[page 4]
that we will leave hear
tomarrow I Caint
tell where we will go
some says that we will
go to Charlston S C
though I dont No wher
my self the Boys went
to Richmond on sunday
last and tha run the
poless gard all out of
town and run all the
gards out of the plaice
and tha all had ajolly
time this [??] [??] [2]
Division along hear of
Soldiers I suppose
that thare is about
10 thousand of us along
together and richmond
wornt much in our [way?]
[end of letter]