[1] Camp near
yorke town
April 16 1862
Dear wife sisters and
Brothers i now take the
pleasure of wrighting a
few lines to you hoping
thay will finde you all
well as thay leave us all
at present I receved
your kinde letter dated
the 2 april just after i posted
my letter of the 8 you say
you are about geting
your gardin dug i would
would like verey well
to be thare to do it my
self but as it is you
must make the best
you can of it
[page 2]
I will be gratley
indeted to the olde man
fore his obligashion towardes
you i hope i may yet
liv to returne the same
towardes him thare is
nouthing of importince
hear since i last wrote
the troopes still continues
to come in withe plentey
of artillery thay are
light peases the roades
are so bad that thay
cannot get the heavey
guns along the rebles
sitll holde thare posishion
we hav fel back since
i wrote my last as
we are to near the
enemey works the enemey
began to throw shell
in our encampmentes
so we fell back a mile
[page 3]
our pickets still holde
thare same plase thay
still continue to exhange
shotes withe the enemey
i had some hopes that
we should hav bin in
yorke town when i
wrote this letter by
the operashions that was
gowing on when i last
wrote I thinke it will
be several days before
aney thing will be done
hear we hav chearing news
from the west it looks
to bad to think that we
the armey of the potomack
should be kept idle
will the grate weste
do all the fighting it
is not the mens falt
i ashure you thay are [wills?]
[page 4]
we hav not had a
male since i receved yours
of the 2 inst that i know
of i do not know how
it is we get verey litle
news of aney acount hear
as we scaselerey ever
see a paper now thare
is all sortes of rumers
in regardes to that fight
at pitsburg landing
Col small rigment
is encamped near hear
some of the boys has bin
up to se us that new
recrute got hear on
satturday night he is
in compney m M you will
hav to mak one letter
do you all as my paper
will soone run out
from your affectinate
Husband and Brother
Wm Band