Front Royal June 11 1863
Dear Brother
I seat myself to
write you a fiew lines to day
to let you know that I am in
the land of the living and liked
to be as long as we are in
McDowells Division for he is a
regular Secesh and does not
calculate to fight or let any of his
men but goes round guarding
all the Secesh propity he can
find but for all that and his orders
the Behives Sheep and Pigs have to
take it some of the Co. got a hive
every night.
our Co. and Co. C went out on picket on
grand guard last Saturday and [5?] Co. of
[page 2]
didnot [???] he heard him
run throughe the bushes.
I suppose you have heard all the
particulars about those 5 Co. that
are in bank Banks Division and
know full more than I do about
it and therefore will not write
about it. Col. Goddard was
here the other day he has been
up to see the other Co. he says
they have had a hard time
of it and I guess they have.
we are expecting to move frome
there evry day we got all ready
Monday and mounted for a start
and teames loaded then had to
pick tents again the story is
that we are going to Richmond
but we donot know where we
are going the Col. sayed we wer
going on the longest march that
we have hade yet well I donot
care I had as lives march as any
thing if I am well and I feel
pretty well to day True had
the shakes this fore noon and it
makes him feal a little sober
[page 3]
Infantry and 2 pieces of Artilery
the artilery went most to the pickets
and planted their guns on a hill
and we went a mile or so by the
pickets and the Infantry was stationed
just inside of us our Co. went on
first and stood untill Sunday
about noon we wer posted on top
of the mountains only one man in a
place and some wer ½ a mile apart
but the most wer so they could
see each other in the day time but
not in the night the most of us
close to the woods we wer just
the nicest work for the Rebels that
they could wish but it seamed
that there wasent but one that
wanted to do us any mischief he
crep up to one that was close to
the bushes and got within a rod and ½
of him and fired at him but
missed him his horse heard him
in the bushes and Haris saw he
kept watching and he thought that
there must be some body there so
he had his pistol all ready and
as soon as the buger fired Harris
fired where he saw the flash bud
[page 4]
I havent heard from Gorde or Bill
or Royal since we left Fredericksburg
Walker is isint vary well and it is
a wonder that more of us isint sick
there is such changes in the weather
perhaps you will be sweating of
rite smart (as they say) and in an house
it will be raining and you will
get wet through and be cold and get
all chilled through then lay down
on the ground with nothing but a
talmer under you and a blanket over
you you know how uncomfortable it is
to go out Fishing and get wet and you go
home and get some dry cloths on and think
you have had a rough time of it but
but immagine how you would feele if you
had no place to go to and get warm but
had to weare the same clothes untill they
get dry and by that time get wet again
it raines here in these mountains just
about 2/3 of the time some times you have
enough to eat and some times you donot
hav <s>ay</s> any to spare. these rain storms
are what makes me wish my self at home
about that time and our folks seam to be
giving it to the bugers and I hope they
will get enough pretty soon so we can
come home. I tell you what I wish I had
and that is a pare of rubber boots that
would come up to by (ass). I have got the
same boots I had at home there isent but a
fiew that have got their first ones they drew
[continued upside down in top margin of page 1]
but mine have got to last a while
longer my old cap looks rather rough
but I am going to wear it as long
as it will gang [1] to gather Old Yams
hair isint quite as long as it was last
winter he is rather poor but he will
stand it with the rest I suppose you
are all through with planting tell Liz that
I wish her much joy but I should think she mint
write to a
[continued right-side up between date and body of letter]
fellow well my
sheat is full and I will close give my
love to all the folks I havent had but
one letter since we have leave
here Hat Walker oes me one good by All