fairfax va March 13 . 1862
Dear wife I now take the opertunety
of wrighting a few lines to you
hoping thay will finde you all well
as thay leave us all at present
we ware aroused last munday morning
at one clock to get ready to moove
we are onley alowed to take one
over shirte one under shirte one
pare of drars two pare of stockins
one towell pease of soape and come
one sleeping blanket and over
coote I expect we shall lose all
the rest of our close we hav small
tents caled poncho thay are in three
peases each man has one pease thay
are numbered 1 2 and 3 thay are
onl fore sleeping under thay
are small thay stand three feete
high in the center come thay are
the same shape as those tents you sene
[page 2]
we left camp marcy at fore
clock in the morning and
went to farfax we stoped
thare one hour and started fore
center ville we got thare at
fore oclock we ware jubes at
entering centervill we thought
thare was some rebles thare
but it prooved to be our
infintrey about fortey in
number the infintrey ware
ahead till thay got to centerville
the infintrey started at one
oclock thay got to farefax
before us thay cheeared us as
wee went thrue the villige thay
rung the bells belonging to
the hotells our flag was waving
over the corte house by our
tropes centerville is prettey
well fortefide thare is fore
ore five fortes and some
verey good rifle pipes [1]br> [page 3]
we proceaded thrue centerville
to bullrun the bridge was
still burning when wee got
thair we had some little difficulty
in crosing it as the banks ware
rather high one side of the creeke
I call it a creeke because it is
as big as chester creeke it was
gitting nearley dusk but wee
proceaded on to manasses juncshion
we could see the fire long
before we got to it it was
all in flames and darke so we
could not see much aboute it
we had no difficulty in geting
thare as we never seane a rebbel
on the hole route we then
turned around to gow back
to centerville fore the night
as we dare not stop thare
fore fear that the rebles
might come one us in the
night we then proceaded
[page 4]
back on another roade to
bullrun the water was not
so high thare but it was wider
it was up to the horses beley
it runs verey strong we got
back to centervill at
eleven o clock and put up
fore the night we left thare
on wensday morning and came
back to joine our division
at farefax centervill is a prttes
parte of the cuntrey i hav
seane since i came in va it
lays verey high thar is not
maney houses thare the rebles
built agrate meney logs huts
enugh to accomodate fortey
thousand 40.000 better qurters then ever
we had thare was over one hundr
hundred ded hourses laying arounde
hear that is at centerville
from your affectionate Husband
Wm Band i rote this letter sea sesh pen
[page 5]
[2] [3]
but I know their is one
that can protect you their
and can bring you of safe
and it is to him I look for
help and [?] that I may be
permited to see you both a gain
write to me as soone as you get
this for Mr Greeg I fell for
them I will send you some
stamps in my next we are
all well give my love to
our Will tell him to take
good cear of hm self so
good night and good blass
you I remain your affectionate
Wife Mary A Band
[start of William’s writing]
giv my best recspects to
all the folkes tell them
we are in better spiretes
since we moved the boys
are in grate glee thay want
to get to richmond
thare is a grat meney troopes heare [???]
[page 6]
farefax march 13 1862
I wish we had started
at centervill thare is good
qurters thare i will soldgers
all my life it thay giv us
such quarters as then we
ware at home thare is
chimneys in them all
bunks in fact thay are
the best qurters i hav
had since i came soldering
i am shorte of paper i
came away and fore got
it i hav got no post stampes
it will be some time
before we get pade
bill wantes some poste
stampes direct your letters
same as the rest your
sent we get a male
everey other day hear
we may leave hear
aney minet