1863
Camp at Winchester Va March the 22
Dear mother as I recieved your letter last night of
the 12th I though[t] I would answer it, I am well as
usual and stood to march prety well, we left Romney the
15th and got heare the Eightteenth we marched three dayes but
the last day we got heare a bout one oclock, the roads
was good better than I Expected to find them, we are
in Eastern virgina what is called the Shanandoh valie
it is the nicist land that I have saw yet in this
state, Winchester is a nice place it is said to have
once had Eight thousan inhabitance but thare
is not more than one half that number
know if thare is that, it is going to ruin like all
other placis that I have ben in, the railroad ran
heare once but it is all tore up now it cum from
harpers fery heare it is of now acount til it is repard
and I dont think that will be don very soon,
thare is a grave yard heare that is called a rebil grave
yard thare is thirteen hundred and sixty rebels
buareied in it some of them was killed in battil
at this place,, the one hundred and sixteenth regiment
came with us from romney whene we arived heare
we cound fourteen thousan men heare thare is
a bout sixteen thousin heare know. magor general
mill roy is in comand heare, our brig General
know is General Elit we have one of the
largist bregaids in the Division, see one other page
[page 2]
as I have writin a bout all the noes that is
heare Sow I will tell you how we have have
passed the winter, as it conserns me what I have
to do I have not got mutch to do I dont have
any guard duty to do all I do is to cook for the
captin lieut Davis and Jas Pumphery and mi self if
I did not do that I would half to stand guard
and do other duty, Davis got me this place sow it
would not be sow hard for me sow I have prety
Easy times we have all we want to Eat potatoes
and coffie sugar soft bread and a Number of other
things Uncle Sam feads his men well and givs
them good cloas to were to were and payes them well
but the South dose note doe neather of them things
to there men, and you said would like to know
how we spend the winter Eavnings they pass
bye very rapadley some of the boys is a reading
some on guard some a talking a bout home
some one thing and some a nothe but thare
is not mutch card playing in our company
we had a meating in the church at Romney
a bout Evry sunday the boys tended pretty
regularly, as it respecks a furlough a purson
that is well can hardly get one but if I
should get sick I Expect that I could get one
Severel of the boys in our compeny has
gon home on sick furloughs, probably
after a while thare will be a chance to get one
[page 3]
I will tell you a little a bout the feelings
of the armey heare as fur as I know, thare is
some folks ar home that ses the armey
is demoralized it is not sow thare is a
fiew men heare that writes sutch stuff home
the are like Rube smith was not a good
solger when it come his turn for guard
he was sick but he was not he was tring to get
red of guard and poot it on the other boys
the feelings of the armey heare is to poot down
this rebelion and it will be poot down but it
would be done sooner if the coperheads
at home would be still the solgers in the
field will never fore give the men at home
that talkes as the doe, well I guess I must
close ore I will not get mi letter our in
this maile if you have not sent mi boots yet
Express them to martinsburg that is the nearst
point to the railroad 22 miles frome heare
and if you have sent them write to noe
whare they was Expressed to and we can
get them, I sent you sixty dollars in
care of S H white write to mea and let me
know whether you got it
well I must close Write as sone as
[page 4]
you get this that is all at presant
Give mi respects to all good Bye
from your sone Wm Ellis
To Mary P Ellis

adress you letters
To Wm Ellis Co A 123 regt
OVI via marinsburg va
to Winchester va

This now for
Ever and now
compremise with
Trators that is mi
feelings Wm Ellis