Camp Stewart July 16 [18]62

Dear farther I embrace the present
oppertunity of writing you a few lines
to let you know that I am well and
I hope that those few lines may find
you all well and enjoying the comforts
of this world farther I have know knews
to write to you more than hard time and
I suppose you know enough of them I
reckon you have herd from boyds men
and the untimely death of Brother Alex
I have never bin able to learn enything
about the boys more than what we could
here in papers an that want much we
are down on the river where we cant
here eny thing I hope you have bin
ble to learn all about the boys as
the wounded has gone home and you
must write me all the knews and let
me know what you have herd about
Alex and Jake farther I want to come
home some time in august if I
can get of[f] I dont know how it
will be but I will come if I can
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I would like to come the best in
the world and stay 10 or 12 days
when the apples gets ripe but
from all accounts we will have
to be fighting about that time as
the yankees are repoted to be coming
back up the river again I dont care how
soon for I will try and get revenge
out of them for killing my brother Alex
farther we have not drawed eny money
yet and times are verry hard I wish
this cruel and un just war was at an
end for I am getting awful tired of
it but I dont want it to wind up until
I can get a chance to kill one and I
think I will get A chance soon if
to days report is true but we cant
here the truth from here to the
spring to save you life but I am
living in hopes to see the yankees
whiped out of our land an then I
can return in quietness but not until
then do I want to come stay eny length
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of time I saw a man since I
began to write who said Jake was
well I want to go and see him in
a short time we have had a hard
time but none of our boys got hurt
though the yankees had us between
their gun boats and land baterys
and they coverd us up with their
shells but owing to the high banks
of the road they did not hurt eny of
us not none of our horses though I
thought they had killed all of us
one time they throwed some bums
at us that weighed 140 pounds
farther you must write me all
the knews and send me some
tobacco by the first good chance
have I have no knews to write
you give my love to all the family
and receive aportion for your self
beshor and write soon give
my love to all my friends
and relation
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nothing more but reman your
devoted son until death
Fred Johnson