Wardensville May 30th 1862

My Dear Wife
It is with
pleasure that I now sit down to write
you a few lines to let you know that
I am well & hope these few lines will
find you the same the last letter I
wrote you I was then in Petersburgh
& I have been on the march ever sence
there was an order came for a company
of our regt to go to Franklin to gard a
train of wagons so the capt sent a part
of our company & a part of Bowes & I
took an other mans place & went you
see Freemont is going to reinforce Gen Banks
well we started for Franklin on Monday
about four oclock & travled till about
two oclock & then layed down till morning at
two oclock we had got ten miles
the reason we did not get along faster was
on account of the troops coming from
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franklin the road was full of men and
wagons it was the greatest sight I
ever saw we got up about day light &
started again on Tuesday & got to F
just at night the teams were loaded
that night so we started back the next
morning & got back to Petersburgh that night
it is thirty miles from Petersburgh to Franklin
well we went to bed & about Three oclock
the capt come a told us he had orders
to march at five he got the orders about
twelve oclock so we got up & got ready
& have ben on the march evry day sence
we are now in advance of Freemonts
whole army on our way to winchester
to fight Gen Jacksons force there was
a little fight here yesterday or not a
fight but a skermish with
some of Freemonts men & some of the
rebles cavelry there was some of Freemonts
cavelry going along the road & the rebles
men haulted them & asked who comes there
& one of Freemonts said friends yes said the reble
[page 3]
like the divel you are & fired at our men
& then run our men Fired at them but did
not hit any of them The Time we went
to Franklin we expected to have a brush
with the Bush Whackers but did not
but I guess we will have to fight some
tomorow we just got so as to take the
leed of the army to this evening so we will
be ahead the rest of the way through
Oh I tell you when we went to Franklin
my little horese gave me a ducking
we had to foard the river where the
rebles burnt the bridge & the water
was verry swift & it threw my horse
down so he & I both got wet allover
& I had to wade the rest of the way
across but it did not wet my cloaths
that were in the sadlebags so I had
a dry suit of cloaths to put on it
scared the boys consderable when
they see me & my horse both go under
but we did not stay there long but got
up & got out of the river as soon as
[page 4]
we could & had to laugh at the horse
when he was going out for he stuck his
ears back & was just as mad as he could
be the orderly went up to catch him & he
had a great mind to bite him
We are ordered not to take the sadles off
our horses tonight for we dont know
what minute we will be attacted
Morning well we were not
attacted last night capt Bowes capt
Ritchards & [Cryers?] companies are
ordered to go on & the rest of us
to be ready to go at twellve oclock
the talk is that there is Skermishing
along the road we will have buisy
times now till after the big fight
which I hope will come off soon
for we are kept on the tilt all the
time & I would like to get some
rest for myself & horse we dont
have any grain for our horses
except what we confisciate I & an
other Boy went out yesterday
[page 5]
& got enough for to feed our horses & our
Supper but we did not steal it we payed
one dollar for it I would have give a
dollar just for my super I was so
hungry we have enough to eat but
I had lived on it so long I had got
tired of it when we are not on the
march we live first rait for soldiers
I dont like to go & take the last corn
a person has & not pay him for it if
he is a secesh it looks like stealing
to me some I did not enlist to take
the vitles victuals out of the women & childrens
mouths as some do but to fight if it
was a rich secesh I would not mind
taking what I wanted to eat & for my
horse to eat but the poor folkes here
are to poor for me to take any thing
from & then they are more to be pittied
than blamed for the reblion but
the rich I dont care how much is taken
from them well I dont know
where to tell you to direct your letter
[page 6]
to for I dont know where we will
be but I will write to you again as
soon as I can & tell you where to direct
it will be all owing to how the battle
goes where we are & there will be a
battle if old Jackson dont run & I
dont know as he can run we are now
within twenty six miles of Winchester
& he is there if not closer to us there
is rebbls all around here but we
clear them out as we go along they
all leave before we get to them
but I must stop writing for this
time so good bye for this time
From you affectionate husband
T M Covert
when you write tell me what the
war news is for I dont get to hear any
here in the mountains I have not
seen a late paper sence I left
Wheeling Tom