this has been wrote
quite a while but
I will send it
Watterlew July 31st

Dear Brother
I received
your letter last night
was gald to hear from
you and as Sergeant
Hawks is going home
to enlist some men
for this Reg. thought
I would write a fiew
lines I am pretty well
so all the rest of
the Boys so Roberst
and all the rest of
Soddom has enlisted
I wish they had waited
a little longer and
[page 2]
some in this Reg.
thinks likely he will
come to see you and
Lew, & Alvin [????]
but by my geting him
to come and see you
I donot want you to
come but thinke you
would like to see him
and have a little talk
about matters and
things if you wer going
to enlist at all I should
want you to come in
this reg. for it is a
great deal easeyer than
in Infantry. when we are
on a march you will
see the road lined
with In. that have
walked as fur as they
can and had to lay down
I am going to send your
[page 3]
watch home I have broke
the crystal. Charles. W.
got back lastnight
he says that F. [???]
is rather slym.
There is some talke about
about our being Popes
boddy guard but I
donot know as ther is
aney thing in it.
I wish you could be
here to get some of
the Blackbarys I never
saw them ½ so thick
and peaches are most
ripe. we have to
go 2 miles on march
to graze our horses
guess we shal move
tomorrow. so old
hagtown ha[s] voted
to give each man $100
that is better than I
[page 4]
thaught they would
do. I dont blame the
fellows for enlisting
but wish herb was
with us if no more.
my John armey plug
has got better I shall
mount him again now
how is the folks. well
I donot know any [???]
news and will close
with love to all
write soon
A M Brackett
P S if you know of
any one that you think
will enlist send them
along