Manassa Junction Va
August the 10th 1861
Dear wife I now Take my pen In hand to
write you a few lines to Inform you that I
am well at this time hoping that those few
lines may find you & the Children in the same
injoyment we are here now & you are thare but
we hope to meet a gain we are at Camp wig
fall one mile from manassa in a most
Hansomist place you Ever saw sur rounded
by mountains large Clover fields And Bact
by a Great number of Southern Soldiers Large
stout & well Drilled men Some from all parts
of the Southern States the number now Estimated
at about one hundred & fifty two thousand
with in 20 miles square we have no particular
News from head quarters concerning war According
to the opions of the most of the news it is Douped [1]
whether we will get in a Battle or not my
mind is Just like it was when ileft concernig
this Dificulty I have nothing more to write only
I can Reply to your Reply a bout not writing
oftiner then I Did I wrote 2 or 3 lettes before this
and only One Answer So I think we are Even in
that matter
[page 2]
James Bynum is not mutch Better yet the Balance
of our mess is in moderate Good Health we have four
in our mess we had five but Bynum is now in the
Hospitle at this time we have A bout 16 or 18 in Co
that Dont Drill some Companys have from 20 to 25
un Able for Drill I mus come to A Close Drill time
Shoulder Arms march I have no yankeyes tale
to Tell you as i was writing at this moment in
Come the Ballance of our Regiment Arived
Splendid looking men ready for the yankies
we think we are All Right so we dont Doupt the
matter the ministes of Difference Grades Explane
them Selves the same way and what they say now
Days must be so Franklen Smy[?] come to see [us?]
[trust?] so Did Brother Eli Bosts Gavon Franklin stays
about 7 miles from our Camp Gavon 1 mile sydney
Bost ABout 4 miles their All well [wating for?] [???]
Tell my friends to write to me Every chance they
have so that I Can give them the Correct news
Tell wood sides to send my paper next male so
that I Can here from that striped place called
Newton [2] where I have lived I hope that I hope
some Relations in that place that will think A nough
of me to write to me but It Dont seeme like it
But no offence
[page 3]
I must Drop my Pen for Dinner I want you
to be certain to write as soon as you get this letter no
Difference what your Buseness is write, you Dont know
how Anctious I am to here from you I would like to
feel of your Ribs a few times more if I could
I Could Return back to my Camp Rejoicing A gain
there To Fight for you and our Children & not for
ours only for the whole of the Cetesons of newton
I here in the Chamber A Bove me
the patter of little feet
the sound of A Door that is open
And voices soft & sweet
And then will I keep you for Ever
yes, for ever and A Day
Till the walls shall Crumble to Ruen
And moulder in dust Away

Direct your letters to Manassa Junction
13 Regiment of N. Carolina [under?]
Colonel J. F. Hoke

Still Remain your Husband untill
Death W.R.D. Bost A. A. Bost