[1] Camp near
chickhomeney swamps
may 5 1862

Dear wife
I take this opertunety
of writing a few lines
to you hoping thay
will finde you all well
as thay leave us all at
present I receved you
kinde letter dated the 28
and was glad to hear
that you ware all well
I wrote our aney one
the same day i receved
yours we lift camp near
ganes mills on sunday
afternoone and returned
on munday after noone
[page 2]
to the same plase wee
left camp near ganes mills
agane on tusday and are
encanped along the rale
rode 9 nine miles from
richmond two miles from
the late battle ground
those that hav bin thar
say that it is horable
two see the dead our men
was not able two bure
the dead thay smelt so
bad thay had two burne
the woods dead horses men
and all two gather two
keep down desese thare
was a grate meney kiled
on both sides thoe the
rebles lost tremenglesley
thare has bin some
fighting gowing on two
day as the cannon has
bin roring all day
[page 3]
I do not know weather
i will be able to get
this letter to gow ore
not as i hav got no stamp
if i cannot git one i
will direct it solder letter
an trie to send it and
you pay fore it that
is if you git it Hugh
[kilbreth?] rigment is down
hear i hav not sean
him but i heard frome
him he is well he sent
his best respects to mee
we had severel of our
delware countey boys
in this late fight thay
all came out well sam
mc danel was in it
he is wel l bob [erven?]
was in he is well and
meney more i might
name if i had time
[page 4]
I was talking to
orem gregg the other
day i ast him when
he got a letter he says
he has not had one fore
some time i ast him
when he wrote he says
two weeks agow i generele
ast him every once and
wile when he got a
letter acording to what
he says he never gets meny
i think he gits them
but he to idle to write
it putes mee in minde
of home the cars hav just
came in loaded with
men and provisions we
hav had another wet spell
it is not all over yet
no more at present frome
your Husband
William Band