May the 9 1864
Arling ton hight virgina
is where i am stationd now
clost to the hous of Janral Lee
on his land it is a butifal plase
here as i did ever see only it
is so hot here that i cant hardly
stand the weather i have Just come
of[f] from a drill with my shirt
weet with sweet i am
now seting in an orcherd
under ashade to right and
have to sit on the ground
and right on my nee that
is harde for me to right in
that way for i am ust to have
somthing to site on when i do
right if you do get this you ansor
ansor it if you do please to do soo
and abig [1] me mutch in so doing
to day is monday morning
[page 2]
in this contry here
o how the sweet dos run
while i am arighting if you
cold see me you wood say
that i was weet i [doges?]
we shall be stationd here
want furterr ordars if we dont
go be fore and one more
thing that is here is som 12
hundrad negrows rite here
wih in one half mild
of are tents and ther is such
a rack i the morning that
i cant tell wheater it
is lit ar not for the blacks
do looke so mutch like a cloud
arising that they do shade
the hole sun here and the
niger stink is so strong
that we cant hardly
bare it if i was only
i wood do difrent i do ges
som it is just for
[page 3]
Slavery that dos ceap
this thing [alived?] if it wasant
for that we wood all be to
home about our domestict
business in peas but it will
neaver be agane that we
all will be to home a gane
it may be my lot to not
eaver see home agane but
all i can do is to hope for the
time to com whene i can
see my famley in peas an content
a gane my hole mind is on
them day ley and i do dreeme
of them nights i hant hurde
from them sins that letter
you did right to me right
to me if you here that eny of them
is sick or not go and see them
as of tain as you can and
right to me if Jan has
bt eny land or not
i sent to to by if she thot be[st?] [2]
[page 4]
so i must close
By saing good by
to you all there
Daniel B, Lee

Direct your letters
to Washington DC
179 ridgment Comp A
in the care of
Capt A terrell
Daniel B, Lee
to William Perry