Centerville Va,, Oct 15th /62
Affectionate Wife
I received you
kind Welcome letter of the
9th last night I had about give
up getting any more letters as
I had not got any for about a
week You kneed not be afraid
of writing to often to me for I
can read as many and cheerfuly
to as you can write,, I have
got tireed of reading war news
as I know it is all dam lies
on our side and Rebs have each
side trying to see wich can tell
the Bigest lies I think each
one has come to Perfection
and time to quit [???????]
But a letter from an acquaintance
gives me pleasure to read it
and espeshialy the draft it is
as will [??] I could have picked
[page 2]
the men out,, But I wish
that substitutes wer not alowed
then it would be some fun
Bully for Gub & Bully for
[Dall?],, I think Sam will not find
[??] $300 or mor either Bully for
him,, What fool,, 9 months
$300 cant make the half of that at home
and if a Battle is what they are
afraid of two thirds 2/3 of them will
ever see a battle the Matter
stands thus,, it is now Fall
and by the time they are orga[n]ised
it will be winter then comes winter
quarters and in the spring it will
be so mudy that an armey cant
be moved and in June they will
be free with out smelling Burnt
Powder so you see the 9 months
men will amount to about as
much as the 3 months and no
more nothing but an expense
to U.S. for Naught
[page 3]
I had the hardest jaunt yestarday
I have had since I have been
in the service,, Started at 12 oclock
at night rainy and cold as the
devile started without any Breakfast
went to Aldie and then to
Middleburgh and then to
Uppertown 37 miles from
camp had a fight at Uppertown in
which I and one other of our co.
was in 6 more of our Regt &
some of the 9th N.Y. Regt,,
We wer charged on by nearly twice
our numbers,, But we drove them
Back without the loss of a man
we took 3 prisoners and 5 horses
and killed one of their horses
and wounded several men
If they had stood their ground
like men there was enough of
them to eat us up our horses
wer tired and theirs wer fresh
[page 4]
wer under command of Capt
Hamlin of 9th N.Y. he gave us high praise
for what we done, wer in a thight [tight]
place and 8 miles from any
reenforcements,, We arrived back
at camp at 12 oclock the next
night making 24 houres in the
saddle with out any thing to eat
for ourselves or horses and 74 mile
travel,, Our Boys have got their
horsees and all together again
,, great Rejoicing,, We are as much
attached to each other as Brothers and
glad to get to gether again
wer alarmed last night with
the expectation of an attack on
this place,, But nothing has
occurred yet to interrup the
quiet of camp,, onley to saddle
lsat night and be ready at
a moments notice with 2 days
Rations But it done no good
for we did not move all quiet
to day
,, All quiet at Centerville