[1] Camp Pickens August the
18 [1861]
[D?]ear farther and mother and brothers and
sisters i take this oppertunity of writing you a
few lines this leves us all well Except fedrick
hw is Complaning a little Not very sick all
the rest of the boys is well i truly hope those few
lines may fin you all Well and injoying
your selvs and all the rest of the Neighbors
We have Nothing of importence to rite to you
all at this time times is very quiet With us
We cant here much from the yankees Now
I Dont Expect they will try Bull run a gan
shortly. it is a small streem But hard for
a yankee to Cross We ar station at Centerville
agan We moved here last sunday We ar stati
on the oppersit side of Centerville to Whare we
was when you was down here. We Cant tell
how long We will stay here We got orders
a day or two ago to be reddy to march but
We have herd Nothing more sence. We
we may stay here some time or We may
Not to day Was our day in [Cars to move?]
but it is raining and I hardly recon
We Will move today and as it is raining
We Con cluded to spend a few ours in
Writing you all a few lines to let you
know how we are geting on. We ar geting
on pretty Well We ar still garding this
large Citty We just Come off of gard
this morning We have Eat our old hen
We Was furfull that we would have to
move and leve her and thought it best
to kill her We would of liked very
much for you to of bin here to take
[page 2]
some supe with us I tell you it was fine
We dident have to boil her mothan a day
and a half I Want you all to rite to us and
give us all the News and let us know what
has becum of all the girls I hardly recon
they ar in the nalisia they just be sum
Whare We Cant here from them thare War a
good meny of them that promist to write
to us but We Cant get Eny thing from them
maby paper is scurs if it is tell them to give us
a few lines on some brown paper
We Would lik to here from Eny of them
at Eny time the girls surtinly Cant be
ingaged in courting for thare is No men
le[f]t Now the malisia is Called out [?] tell
the girls Not to get maried till We felows get
back and give us a Chanch for Every one of
us is Deturmed to get a Wife as soon as
We get back we want to Comence mary
ing the recly We get back and Continue
till Every one of us has got a Wife and all
them vacant houses will be filled. We want
you to speek to Dr loving for all his houses
We Will take all his vacant houses and
build some and if the girls Wants [to] mary
they Will surtinly be Courtted and if the want
mary it Will be thare falt as it has all ways
bin they shant lack for an oppertunity
Whend We get back if they Want to mary then
will be the time. We have a pretty good time
Down her Now We can get plenty of rosin yers to
Eat We have some fine pots of supe some times
We far first trat We get plenty of meat and bread
[page 3]
and sugar and Coffee if We could get some
frut to mak pies we could live as Well as heart
Could wish but We Cant get eny thing of the
sort here. Nether appels Nor petches. i want you to
Put up pleanty of apels and if We cant get Non
before you can save them till We get maried
and give us a big infar and tell Bob Kidd also
to keep that brandy tell then We Want to be thare
Whend he brottles it and take a big drink Just
before We start after our lisens then We Will all han
[?] get a Wife and all of us setled around there and
live Clost Neighbors to Ech other and then I think
pece will Ever Exist or a turabel fuss one i Cant
tell Which. you all must give our love to all the
peopel up thare Espesialy the girls give our Best
respecks to Jo Kidds girls and tell them to rit
to us acording to promis give our best respecks
to aunt aggy and aunt fany and to all the rest of
the Neighbors. give our best respeks to grandfarther
and grand mother both grand mothers and
to all bobs famly and and our best and reserved
respecks to bob Kidd and and all his famly. tell
all the peopel to rite us a few lines We ar hapy
to here from Eny up thare. Dan[?] sends his love to
you all and to his floks [2] he has gotten sell. Bunk
sends his love to you all and to all his folks . all
the boys join in sending there Best respeks to you all and
to all inquiering friends i must now Close
by saying We remane as Ever your devorted
Children tell Deth William Johnson
and brothers
P.S. give our love to all the Childran and
Except a potion your self rite soon good By
[page 3]
Jim Dear sur U Will rite you a few lines to let you know
how we ar geting a long Well Jim I tell you
We could injoy our selves first trat if I was
Surtin thare Would ne Nomore fighting Not
as I am a friad to fight but I tell you thare
is not much fun in fighting Whare the balls
was flying around like they was at manasa
four Weeks ago to day. We Would like to see you
all Very much But it is a bad Chanch to
get off I Would like to get up thare to get
as meny peches and apels as I Could Eat Jim
give my love to farther and mother and Cate
tell Cate I rote to her a day or tow a go and Will
Write agan soon. give my love to your mother
and all the rest of the peopel in the Neighber
hood and Especialy the girls all that you
see and those that you cant see you can send
Word to remmenber my best respecks to
John and Cinthy and bob Kidd and his fam
ly. give my love to all the Childran and
Except a potion for your self. you must
Excuse our short letter We Will rite more next
time. We Will Write a famly letter Next time
I must now c[l]ose by saying I remane your
brother tell Deth. A. R. Kidd to James Johnson
Write to us soon and Direct your letter
to manasa in the Care of Capten boyd
of the 19th regement of virgina
Volenteers
good by this time