Camp Near Patomac creek May 14th
Dear Father I now sit down on
a log to write you a few lines to let
yow know how I am and where I am
I have writen you a few days sinc
but dont think it will go to its destination
but I shall keep a try ing till I get one
through our march commenced on mereday
the twenty fifth of march we left camp
Berry at noon and marched the other
side of Alexandria where we camped for
the night we staid there the 26th waiting
for the rest of our care the ninth we
belong to the 27th we had orders to be
redy to leve at six in the morning
we dident get away till deaen we marched
all day and got to fair fax cart house
at ten in the eve we left in the
morning and marched through
center vill and and on through
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and on through manases plains and
passed manases function and me
went fore miles mare down the road
to Bristol St where we camped for
the night thirty five miles that day
we left at eight in the marning
and marched to catlic station we staid
there fore days and marched acrosed
the rapahanock on pontoons
we left there at two in the morning
and went acrosed the rapadon
camped at germania ford we could
here the masketry shed very plain part
of our care was alredy in to it
we had to stand at our pasts for
orders at eleven ocloock at night
we went withen half a mile of the
figh the day before the fight commens
ou the fifth and on the seventh we
was in to it was was on the right
on a hill with three infentry regts
be got a sight at them and let
fly the shell but the fireing was
[page 3]
[don?] on our side mostly thay
through five or six shell at
us and killed one horse and
stoul one of the wheels all to pieces
one man got a sliver drove through
his hand and then thay run about
half a mile we falowed them and
shelled the woods but it was a bad plase
far arty to be marked to a good
advantage so thay look us off of the
field there was thirty seven battries of
us was in the reserve we marched all
the night of the eight to spattsylvania
C H. we laid there far two days and
was ordered on the 13 out to the plank
road to defend it was relieved
and sent to fredricks bury we left
there on the seven teenth and crossed
the rapahanock got here yester day
thay have got mare arty then is
needed at presant we took thirty
sixpieces of arty from them at the
battle of the wildernes and prisoners
[page 4]
any quantity of them we got the
best of them and the news is good
evry day we are whipeing them fast
it is called the hardest fight of the
war all fought in the woods and
mostly by infentry our boys was
wild far fighting them and if thay
had ever come in to the fields
thay would have got [halalaugeh?]
grant ishued an order that there
should be now male go for twenty
days when you get this answer
soon that water I st supose is
in the express oface far me and there
is now way of geting it the captain
sais you evn have it sent back and
if you can it would be better far
I may not see washington fa
along time our horses is about wore
out and we may stay here a week
or two always direct the old way
and the letters will come
hope you will get it this
Yours in haste. J.P. Campbell
Love to all
Good By