Head quarters 35 regt of N C troops
Camp near petersburg va August the 7th 1862
Dear cousin I agan seat my Self to anser
your leter which I recivd som time senc
my friend this is 3 leters that I hav
riten to you senc I left the horspitel
at raligh and I never hav had the
plesher of reading a line from you yet
I orto anserd your leter befor I left
kinston but I think my excuse is very
good I was sick when I got your leter
and cood not anser it tell I got
well but I no that you will excuse
mee for that I rote to you just as soon
as I got to the cumpeney and never hav
recivd a line cenc tho I hope it is not
too late yet well I will drop that
Subject and take up one probley mor
interresting in the first plas I will
tell you about our march from
petersburg to sitey point wee left
drues bluff on the 29 of July and
marchd everey day tell the 6 day
of august and lay out in the wods
everey nite and livd on 3 crakers and
a peas of meate just about the sise of your too
fingers a day
[page 2]
wee had dry weather all the time onley
too days and nites it raind like blaises
but wee had to grin and bear it
I tell you my dear friend wee hav
such hard tims it is no yous for mee
to tell you eney thing a bout it
this thing of drinking water out of
pudel hols in the rode it sorteer
gits into the boys shucks wee just
got to camps yesterday and
wee ar lying under marching
orders the boys is just pitching
into baking bread tha all say
tha ar all tierd of eating crackers
and tha all ar in the dough up to
thar elbows and I reckin I had
beter git at it too or tha mite
mak the boye chew crakers and
my teeth is all brouk out now
eating the turnel things the
boys is all ginerley well but
pinkney Whitner & cousin John fry
tha hav bin complaining ever senc
the fite at richmon I think tha
ar bouth on the mend at the
present
[page 3]
as for fiting I cant tell you much about
it tho I think the prospect is pretey
good for a fite at richmon tha say
the yankes is marching on towards
richmon and if that is so wee will
git into it in a few days I think
it wod bee sum advanteg to you girls
to cum down and see use take a round
with the yankes I think if tha hold on
much longer wee will neade sum
of you girls to help uss for
it loocks like wee ar loosing our
friends on everey side tha tell mee
tha is a hunderd dies everey day
at petersburg I dont no how
trew the report is I havent
bin about town much senc I hav
bin hur the reporte came in camp
tonite that the yankes has taken
kinston today I cant tell wether
the report is trew or not
it is giting late in the nite
and I must close pleas rite Soon
and give mee all the nuse
I remain your unwertha friend
A Ward miss E A Whitner