Strasburgh Sunday June 22th
1862

My Dear Wife
It is with pleasure
that I now sit down to write a few
lines to let you know that I am well
& hope these few lines will find you
in the same state of health
We have fawlen back on to Stras
bugh & I expect we will soon moove
again for Winchester or some other
place we are not after Jackson now
but are on the backward march I dont
think that our forces are gaining
much now days we had heard that
Richmond was taken & that Beauragard
was taken prisoner with Ten thousand
of his men & fifteen thousand Stand
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of arms but we got a paper that was printed
the 15th and there is nothing in the report of
Richmond being taken or Bearagard either
but insted of that our forces have gained
nothing as I can see I expect that Beauragards
army is (or a greater part of it) is sent to
this valley till after the wheat is harvested
& I guess we will have some warm
work before the summer ends I dont
see why Mclellen dont take Richmond
if he can but perhaps he has not got
ready it takes a good while to get
ready & I guess he intended to make
a sure thing of it when he goes at it
Our company is detailed for Provost
deauty now the Provost Martial says
we are the most efficiant company he
ever saw for a cavelry compay I expect we
will have to fight just the same as we did
but dont know I hope this war will be
ended without any more fighting for
a battle that is fought well on both
sides makes terable work & a great meny
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loose there life it is hard to see the
poor fellows lay around as they do I have
seen all I want to of it the next time we
to go into Battle I would rather
go around it for I dont like to see men
suffer so much
the boys all feel well now & are in good
spirits & full of fun my arm is getting
some better but is not well yet I asked
the doctor what it was that ailed it &
he said it was a nervous desease caused
by a general prostrating of the nervous
system but he thought he could cure it in
a little while but he dont do it verry
fast but I guess he will after while
I hope you have made up your
mind that I am coming home again
for I have had my mind made up that
I would go home some time all the time
but I wish I was there now to see yous
all I look at your pictures pretty
often I have got in to a new sqad
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or mess & got a new horse the Lient
divided us off into squads the other
day the boys that are in the squad that
I am in are Henry & Jacob Sager Mort
Baker Orlando Ferry Austin Berry
Fayett Babcock William Young Jobe
& William Biggen Robert & Thomas Kinghorn
& Adison Herington we have got the best
squad on the ground the boys are all so
good to work & willing to get the
meals ready to eat I sleep with Mr Berry
& have for a good while
the way I got the horse I now have was
it is one that one of the boys that was
taken prisioners drew & Horace drew
had him & I traided with him for it
it is about the best horse to ride there
is in the company & there is a good meny
that wants him but I wont let him go for
I like him myself to well so you need
not be afraid of my getting hurt by my horse
I am not as fraid of a horse as I was I have
got to be quite a horseman Well I must close
my letter so good bye for this time yours as ever
T M Covert

write soon [1]
for I want to hear
from you real bad
you can direct your
letters as you have the
last ones you sent

Wilber Stone is sick I did not think of it when I said the boys were all well [2]