[1] Camp Br[??] Near York Town
Dear Wife
I once more embrace this oppertu-
-nity of writing a few lines to you by the way of
letter although I do not know how long I shall
have to write for we are called about every two
or three hours Some of the time we are called
up two to three times in a night this is what a
person calls Soldiering no baby playing night
before last we were called up at half past nine
and marched about one mile and a half and
drawn up in a line of battle one half of us were
permited to lay down while the rest of us kept awake
and So we kept doing till day light then we are
were relieved and went to camp but we had no more
than got into our camp before we were ordered out
again but our Stay was of Short duration the Skirmish
was mostly all over when we got out it was between
a Mass Reg and the Rebels they took twenty rebels
prisioners besides killing quite a number of them
and Seven pieces of Artillery and quite a number
of other things with the loss of but four men killed
and Some few Slightly wounded that was our
loss of men it seams that we are very fortunate
in every movement and I hope they may till
this war shall close we have every reason to
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thank God for success as for our Reg- we have
had but one killed and four wounded that has
been lucky for us that one that was killed was
killed by the bursting a shell from the enemies
gun how long we can Say that is more than I can
Say but I hope that we may ever be as fortunate
as we have been but as for that we cannot expect for
it would be an utter imposibility for So many men
as we have in our Reg- to escape without Some getting
killed if we have a great fight although we do not
expect to have a great deal of fighting to do from
the simple reason that our Artillery will do
the bombarding while we will Support them in
the rifle pitts Secure from Shot and Shell
the General Says that he will bombard t Six weeks
before he will losse one Hundred men uslessly the
men place the utmost confidence in General
Mcclellan he is most every day along the lines to
view the works he says that he intends to threw
or throw 1000 Shells in a minute that is Saying
a great deal but when a person Sees the batteries
that he has placed in different places we have
no reason to doubt his word in the least I
expect that the day the performance opens there
will be a great noise for of course the enemy
will respond for a while but I hope it will be
of Short duration for I hate to hear the thunder
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of the cannon it is hard enough to hear what we
are obliged to under the present circumstances
for there is not a day but we hear a hundred
and that has been the case for about three weeks
there has been thundering every day and are looking
forward to the day when either the North or South
Shall be the master I hope the day is not far distant
when we Shall See the Stars and Stripes are floating
over the whole South and the citiens return to thier
peacable homes and eny enjoy the friends of home
for I am getting tiered of this living away from
home and friends is not what is cracked up to
for I find hard feed at this present tie to sleep out
of doors in rain Storms as well as Sunshine there is
no getting rid of duty unless you play up Sick and
that I am bound not to do as long as I can move
around for this playing up sick when a person is
well is very wrong I would not dare to try to play
up Sick unless I was Sick for I fear that I should
be in earnest So I would be Sorry in the end my
health never was better than it has been through
the winter and Spring regardless of the wether
we have been exposed to Since we enlisted many
has been the time that we have come to our tents
wet to the Skin without any way of drying and
layed down with wet cloths on to Sleep and Slept
till morning very Sound when they come a fare
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day we are able to dry them that is our luck
but it will Soon be warmer wether So we can
enjoy our Selves better if it Should rain
I guess I will write no more about for the
present trying to think of Something of more
importance for there is nothing very nice
only that I am in good health ready to
to take rations as they are delt out forme
from time to time I will Say no more at
the present time for I fear that you cannot
read it give my love to all my friends
and keep a good Share yourself write as
Soon as you can and often as you can and
I will do the Same excuse all mistakes and
poor writing for it I am in a hurry Good
by for this time
This from your Husband friend
Luther A. Granger
to Sabra and Clara Granger Direct your
letters as you have done