M T Jackson Tuesday June 17th 1862

My Dear Wife
It is with pleasure
that I now sit down to let you know that I
have recevied three letters from you sence we came here
the letters are dated June 1st 3rd & 8th I have
been trying to answer ever sence I got the first
I have got to tell you some bad news now
Edwin French Nate Bassit Stephen Thorp
William Freat & Edwin Balie
went out forageing yesterday & were all
taken prisoners the news came to camp &
Capt Barber capt Bowe capt Ritchards
& capt Barrett took a part of there companies
& went out to see if they could not catch
the rebles they ran on to about thirty of them
& killed a reble captain & took one prisoner
there was one of capt barbers men killed
his name was Booth he was the Sadler
[page 2]
our companie could not go after the boys because
we are detailed for provost deauty
but all was done that could be done to save the
boys but it was to late there was more that
got taken prisoners than our boys I dont
know who they were I just heard that
Robert White was with the boys he is the
man that had his wife at camp Chase
it will make his wife feel bad so it will
all the rest of the boys folks well Phebe I
cant write a verry long letter for I dont
feel verry well I was quite sick yesterday
but I feel better today it is the first time
that I have been sick it makes me sick
at my stomache to hold up my head today
if it was not for that I would feel pretty
well but I will keep pretty quiet today
and tomorrow I will be well
in your last letter you appear to be
more hopefull I am glad of it for now
you feel some as I do I think Ill get home
again before long but dont know
[page 3]
anything about it [yous?] the talk there
is that Beauragard has about give up
why we heard here that he & ten thousand
of his men were taken prisoners & we
heard to that Richmond was taken
I wish you would write to me somthing
what the news about the war is for
we dont see any papers
we heard to that Jeff Davis wanted
hostilities stoped for sixty days & that
lincon had given him thirty & if they
did not ley down there armes by that
time he would flood the country with
soldiers & burn and destroy as they go
we dont beleav it but it is the
quickest way to end the war but
a verry unjust way u[n]less
the Goverment pay some for what
they destroy & then it never could
be told who the true union men are
but I hope the war will end some
way for I would like to get home
[page 4]
you wrote that you had heard
that we had been in a couple of
skermishes we have been in several
& one big battle but did not loose
any men till yesterday
you need not be afraid of my horse
hurting me for I have got so I am
not afraid of a horse & can
wride first rait but my little
horse got sick & I took another
to wride & he is the the that got
into the bridge & that used him
up & now I have a bay horse
he is verry gentle & kind
you say it is pretty wet wether
there or was it was pretty
wet here about a week ago we
wer wet for about a week
well I must stop for this time
yours affectionately
T M Covert