[1] 1862
va 20
alexandria March
Dear
wife i hav juste receved
your kinde letter it is
not dated the envelop
is dated the 18 it is
verey excepteble i was
expeting on[e] from you
i had just fineshed our
richerd letter when i got
yours you say i tolde
you that i woulde
solder all my life if
i got such qurters as
them at centervill if
we had stayed thare
i would hav sent fore
you i mean under such
curumestances as the cuntrey
is placed in just now
[page 2]
I would not be grug
moste aney thing to see
you all just now be
fore we gow away
i am glad to se rebeldom
nearley played out i would
like to see our boys hav
a brush before this is
settled that is our rigment
i mean we hav first rate
times laying hear nothing
to do the streetes is ful
of solders all the time
alexandria is a milaterey
depot general mc head
mc clelen head qurters
is hear i wish you
ware onley hear to
see the solders gowing
of[f] in the boates the
bandes playing chearing
of the men thay are in
[page 3]
good spiretes thay want
to meete the enemey thay
do not wante the western
troopes to hav all the
prase it is note thare
fault thay fetched in
five rebles prisner last
night thay uste to shoote
oure picketes i like to
see such men as them
fetched in i beleve
thare thare that [???]
some rebles in alexandria
yet i hav sean the
house ware elsworstth
was shot i hav bin
a past it several times
the solders is in grate
glee being in the woods
so long thay do not no
what to make of it
since thay came in the cittey
[page 4]
I must Bringe my
letter to a close fore
the present as i want
to poste my letter
this eaveng so nor
more at pesent
from your affectinate
Husbande Wm Band
to his wife
M A Band
bill got Johns
letter same time
i got yours
I receved them two
dollers thay are
very exceptabl in
times like these