Camp 10 Miles
South of Culpeper Aug Saturday
the 16th 1862

My Dear Wife
I now take
the oppertunity of writing you
a few lines to let you know that
I am reasonably well if it was
not for the neuraliga in my face
I would be as well as ever let but my
face has not let me have any
comfort for four of five days but
it is getting better now I guess
you thought the letter I wrote
you the other day rather a poor
excuse for a letter but it was the
best I could do at that time for
I had the tooth ache & head ache
verry bad & I could not think of
anything to write I believe I
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promised to write to you again [1]
next day if we did not march but we
had to march that day &
after we got the sadles off our horses
& got super we got orders to sadle
up & take five days rations with us
& be ready to march at eight oclock
we got ready and marched all that
night & all the next day we went to
madison court house & back that
is our company did we were sent
ahead of the regt just at daylight &
were ordered to go to madison
court house & return back to that
place to the regt but when we
got back the regt was not there so
we came back to camp & I tell you
I was glad of it for I was just about
tired out we have had all day today
to rest & I feel a good deal better
for it I went over the battle
field today & I saw some verry
hard sight the rebles did not
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burry their dead I saw one [2]
with his arm sticking out & two
with all of their brests uncovered
& several with their feet out &
dead horses there was lots of them
& cartrage boxes & clothing the woods
is full of them I think it showes
well enought that Jackson was whipped
or afraid he would be or he
would be or he would have burried
his dead better than he did but then
he played a good joke on our Generals
I dont know where in the duce
old Jackson is & I guess that the officers
dont for I guess that was what we
were sent out for to find out where
he was but we did find him
I wonder if Orwell has made out
the number of men that is wanted
from there I hope she has for
I hear Briston & Bloomfreld has
& I dont like to hear that Orwell
is behind the girls will have to
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do as the secesh Girls do they [???] [3]
their beaus off to war or they wont
have any thing to say to them if they
dont unless it is to call them cowards
& that is the way the Girls will have
to do ask Ellen & Al[z?]ade
if they are willing to to do that but
then if they have beaus & they dont
enlist now they are not worth
haveing
I see one rebles grave when
some of our Soldiers had pealed
the back off of the side of a tree
that stands at the head of the grave
& wrote here layes the remains
of a reble soldier who died fighting
against his country
well I must close for it is
getting late so good bye for
this time yours affectionately
T M Covert