Camp Near Potrick Station
Va.
March 20th
Dear Father I again sit down in
my tent to write you an other letter
in hopes that I may recieve on onswer
from it I wrote you a letter March 17th
and have recieved mo onswer from it
I recieved a letter from williom this
after noon and will try and answer it
soon it stated that you had recieved
seenty dallars from me but had
not got the thirty five yet I am in
hopes that it will go safe I hove got
boath reciepts I had a quite a spell
of sickness but feel quit streng and
well agoin we hove had quite a fight
down here but we was not ingaged
much yester day morn about fore ocloock
I went in to the fort with the men
thay were fireing quite hevy down on
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our right about six we got orders
to pock up and be redy to move me pulled
down our tents and got evry thing
redy to leave we wos ordered in to the
fort and had to stond by our guns all
day the first and third divisions of our
core was ordered down on the left thay
kept up a fire all day ve could here them
charg and cheere about fore in the ofter
noon the second Core and the third
division of the sixth Core made a charge
on the left and drove the rebs about a mile
about that time the fort on the left of
us fired a few shots the coptain gave orders
to load with percusion shell we fired fore
shots at the woods as I thought for I
could see nothing to fire at fort henery
on our right opened at the some time
and fired a few shots but the rebs
did not answerr our saloot about dark
the fireing seased ond all was still
all our men slept in the fort last
night the troops all along the line was
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at there posts ready the horses was unharn [1]
esed the troops about ten all come bock to there
quarters with the exception of a few that was
left to hald the ground that be goined
this marning there wer twelve dead
bodies laid by the grove yard on the hill
thay were in ouful shape I would have started
me to look at them and I dont know
whether it is over yet or not I presume thay
will go at it soon again some of the papers
talk of the rebs caveing but thay dont fight
mush like it the rebs throwed a shot into
for Fisher and blew up a limber chist
there was twelve men killed instontly
and some wounded war is a [clewel?] thing
but It is all the go out here we took a good
meny prisoners from the rebs but we lost
an ouful sight of men we have been verry
luckey so far about fighting but there is time
enough yet the sutlers is all drove out of
the army and there is but few papers come
so that we dont get much news our captain was
opointed major of the regiment but there is not
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men enough to muster him and so he
has to stay with the battery he is a prety good
offaser he dont try to get in to a fight but
he has been in a good meny when he was
lieutenant Tell evry one that they must rite
for I always like to here from home it does
a soger some good to here from thare that he
knowes I got a letter from Nancy Guild
day before yester day and I must answer it
but I dont hardley know how to go to work
you must write for I wont to here from
home and tell me whether you hove recieved
the last money that I sent
I dont think
of any more at presont give my
love to all and write soon
Yours from a soger
J. P. Campbell