Camp Peirpont
Oct the 27 1861

Friend Cosen
As I have nothing to do I will
write you a few lines to let
you know that I am well and
Jim is mending sloly The Cap
has been unwell for the last
week but is going a bout a
gain A week a go last saturday
we was out on a expidison
and was with in 5 mi of
leesburg We was gon two days
Sabath evening the buck tail [1]
reigement cilled five of the
rebels One they shot thr[e]w
the head the ball entring his
right eye and come out of the
back part of his head He
had a double barl shot gun
loaded with 9 buckshot in each
barl they took his sword knife
[page 2]
Spurs & hat and a pair of
gloves The other 4 the rest of
there friends tide on there horses
and escaped They belonged to
the Lauzina tiger Caveldry [2] Not
one of our men was hirt We
all came back to our Camps a
gain on monday saif and sound
We Crost the potomack 3 weeks
ago last saturday about 12 oc in
the night and I have seen
some purty hard looking plases
since the houses disurted
and the men has left and
the negroes all run of[f] that cold
run there was one man that
had twenty five and they all
run of[f] but five and they was
so old that they cold not
run the yongest one was 91 years
old so he told me and he looked
like it to I asked him wether
they had any thing to live on
[page 3]
this winter and he told
me they had not onley som
beens they was gathern and
soe corn It is purty cold
here now it makes our horses
shiver and we are not far
behind them I tell you But
it has been very hot for the
last 4 week before this We
are camped in a corn
field and have lots for our
horses and plenty for our
selves such as it is It is
mostly hard crackers beef pork
potatoes coffee & Beens & sugar
Out where we was shugar
was worth 75 ct per pound and
coffee $1[.]00 per pound [$81??] pur sack
and was all mos impasable to
get at that
Lib I have not seen but
one purty girl since I
left hoe and she was not much
to brag on
[page 4]
John is well and is
well liked by the most
of the boys in the companey
so with this I will close
give all the girls my best
respects Write soon
yours truly John McC

Direct the same onley
to Camp Peirpont