Camp Near
Fredricks . Burg . V. A

May 18th . 18.64

My Dear Wife I
take the opportunety of
writing a few lines to
you hoping thay will
find you all well as
thay leave us at Present
I received your letter
dat May 2nd and one
last night dat 10th from
your Brother you hav
sent me the rong letter
it is fore your Arthur [1]
I will send it Back to
you in this I wrote you
one a few days agow
and one on the first
of this month
[page 2]
Dear Wife we are
in camp at fredrick Burg
hights where thare has
bin so much fighting
fore it is a splendid
cuntry about hear we
hav plenty of pasture
fore our horses and cattell
we hav not got much
to do these are the best
times we hav ever had
no fighting to do the
Armey seams to be
laying idel we do
not hear much firing
out at the front the
lines are about eight
miles frome hear
fredricke Burg has bin
a nice place once but
it looks prety well [spatrd?]
up now with shott and
shell
[page 3]
the roads hav bin almost
impasabel but these
last few days hav dried
them up considerbel so
that we may expect to
hear of the armey moovi
ng once more I hav not
heard of aney of our boys
being hurt i hope thay
hav come of[f] safe but
we canot expect to get
of[f] so well evry fight .
I sean the paper of the
sixtinth 16 i think the
news are veary good
frome all parts of the
armey i think that
we shall se richmond
before we get discharged
I am glad to se that
grant is being so success
full in his new undertaking
[page 4]
we are geting plenty
of [reenforcements?] suche
as thay are i do not think
much of theme thay are
all heavey Artilry men
thay will not stand like
our ould troops thay
broke severell times
thay had to sind them
to the rear to suport
Batterys and dw picket duty
I was down at the Plains
yesterday it is seven 7 miles
from hear
giv my loov and respects
to all
No mre at Present
frome your affectnate
Husband Wm Band
MA Band
Her brother, Arthur Martin