Camp Near Union Mills
March 27th 1863
Dear Father. I now sit
my self down to write you a
few lines to let you now that
I am well and hope that these
few lines will find you the
same. We got Marching orders
to be redy to move the 24th
to leve our old Camp We left
the Camp about 6 ocloock tuesday
and got to our abode a little
after noon. the roads was verry
muddy and verry hilly but
we onley went about seven miles
we are now stationed at union
mills va. with two vermonts
regt. to gard the station here
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the right section of the battery
is stationed about half a mile
from us on a hill. the first
but two sargents fore Carprels
and thirty privats. thay are
out on picket as yow often
here say but thay stay there
all the time. There is a Corprel
and three men in an iron
car about a mile from here
on the railroad to gard the
bull run bridge the care is iron
clad all over with one big gun
in it. there is little dores all
round the carr where thay
runn the gun out and fire
the carr is all bulett holes
where the rebs fire at it
the gunn is there to gard
the bridge so that it dont get
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burned down. it is verry
hilly land here. I shouldent
like much to be a farmer in
vergina. solgering is bad
enough. there is a rebel fort
about three quarters of a mile
from here. it looks rether
ruff but I supose it is
honest. the old bull run battle
ground is about three miles
from here. we are stationed
north east from fairfax
there is brest works all round
here that the infentry maid .
you must exsuse me for
not writeing before but
there hasent been any way
to send the mail from
here. I have been looking
ancious far a letter from
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home for some time but
it hasent come yet.
I wrot to Wm the day
after I wrote to you it
is the comfert of a soldier
to here from ones at
home. yow now. when you
write write a good long letter ]
and I will read it.
tell siss that she must
write. I often think of her
when I am fare away. dont
forget to mencion me to
mother. and Wm that
he must write or I will
see about it. Give my
love to all inquireing frends
Yours as ever
John Preston Campbell
U Union mills Va