Wednesday Feb the 14 [1]863

Camp Near
Bell Plane VA
My Dear Wife
I tak this oppotunety
of wrighting A fiw
lines to you I hope
thay will finde you
All well As thay
leave us At present
I hav just receved
your kinde letter
dated the 6 I also receved
one dated the 11 and paper
A few days agow
I hav just came Back
from Stafford cort
Hous I whent out
thare this morning
to the one Hundred
and twenthy 1.24 forth PA
[page 2]
I sean Ned Blakley
Sam crowther Billy
Bruster and severel
others that I am acquanted
with thay are all well
thay ware asking about
you all thay are
all [pretey?] [well?] [????]
of soldering I onley
wish our time was
as near out as thares
you want to know
what kind of book
I want I want it
fore an Almanac and
memorandom and account
Book I will send you
somthing like what I
whant I Bough A
watch last Night
I gave more then I
intinded to fore one
I gav twenty $20.00 dollers
fore it
[page 3]
It is an old
english virge watch
It is verey heavy heavy
caste it is a good time
keeper and strong I
thought it would
sute me Better than
i would get from
home I was gowing to
tell you not to by
mee one Bill says send
it on to him he would
lik one it is bin
raning all the afternoon
we hav got one tent
fixt up better then
we had some tim agoa
we hav fire in it now
Bill is reeding the paper
and I am wrighting this
loov letter soft soap
we hav just bin reeding
[porter?] expedishen
[page 4]
you want to know
weather we want aney
Boots ore waring aperell
I think we are prety
well off just know
If we could hav got
some three ore fore [???]
[???????] would hav
dun us some good we ware
nearly all Barefooted
it would hav made you
open your eyes to see the
Boys dooing duty with thare
feet on the ground I am
glad you got that money
giv my best wishes
to all the folks
I hope Hugh Rea has my
letter before this
giv my loov and respects
to All your it is
Affcnat Husband now
William Band taps