1863
Culpeper C H Va July the 24th
Dear wife I seat my self to Drop you
afew lins to inform you that I am Not
in good helth at the present time
I Dont know hardley what is
the matter with the matter with
me I have Ben verry un well
for Some time we have
Ben marching verry hard and I
have Ben over het and I think
that it is that that ailes me
I hope those few lins may
reach you in Due time and
find you and the
Children all well I think
that we will leave hear
in the morning we Came
hear today at 6 oClock and
we ar Cooking this eavning
I Cannot Say where we will
go I Suppose that we will
march agood ways from this
plaice Some men Say that
we will go towards Richmond
though I Cannot Say we
have had a verry hard time hear
of late & have had lots of
[page 2]
Rain and the road has Ben
verry muddy I wount to See
you verry Bad and I hope that
the time is Close at hand
when we will all git to
go home to Stay I
hear that times is verry hard
in Ala and that it is
ahard matter for to git
any thing to eat or to war
and I Can tell you that
it is hard times every
where that I Can hear
from the yankes has Ben
following us all the way
from Penn and them &
our men has Ben fighting
Some little all the way
thar was 3 men woundred
& one kild in our Brigaid
yesterday morning about 12
mils from hear the yanks was all
over the mountains as
we Crossed over them we
Crossed over the mountains
in the Night and tha
[page 3]
Did Not Bother us I
hear that the enemy has got
Charlston S C But I hope
that that is falts I hear
Some Say that this war will
Close By the 24th of December
and Some Say Sooner I Dont
No any thing about it my
Self though I have my
oppinions about it I would
Bee glad to see the Day
Come that we Could gain
our independens and have
Peace one time more
we ar expecting afight some
where I Cannot
where and I am of the
opinion that it will Bee
averry hard fight I sometimes
think that we will go
to wards fedricks Burg
and Some saw that we will
go towards Richmond I wish
that we Could Stay hear
afew Days and rest I wount
to hear from you and the
Children soon
[page 4]
tel mother & father Beaty
to right to me for I
would Bee very glad
to hear from them tel
C T Coggin to right to me
for that is all the plesure that
I enjoy with my folks is
when I git aletter from them
tel Rosetta to send me some
word when you right to me
and tel all the Children
howda for me and I send
you the saim tel Burthia
to send me word
how her and her old
[Jool?] is Coming on I
hope to hear from you
soon I will Close for the
present time I remain your
husband til Death
Mrs. A E Coggin Leiut E B Coggin
Rosetta Coggin
N A Coggin
G A Coggin
E C E Coggin