I made a mistake here
I nomber Manasses Junction
the pages the 16. 1861 [September]
Der father and mother
I take my pen in hand
to let you know that I
am well and I hope when
theas few lines come to
hand they may find you
in Joying the same bless
ing father I am a bout
7 miles below manasses
Junction at center ville
I dont know how long
we will s[t]ay we have
marching orders every day or
so I have been In
the battle field I seen
the very yankey wool
I seen dead horses I seen
the verry yankeys legs
the sun as roasten
the greas out of there
heals I tell you have
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2
elephant yet i seen
trees shot down there
air a bout 175000 soldiers
between us and washing+
+ton we air fairing
verry well we air all
in fine spirits we
air a bout 26 miles from
washington and about
18 miles from elexan
Der we have Joined
prestons regiment we
have a Splendid colonel
speserd company is in
this regiment clifton
da[?]ewood is a little
sick i seen all the
Boys down here that
i knowed Jack
mosley is down here
I have never
heard from you since
I have been down
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3
here father I want
you to write to me
soon if not son I
may never for we air
expecting afight every
dy we have not got
our arms yet but
we expect to get them
very soon we have
got a vrry fine battery
to go in the front of our
company I have seen
more men then you
could shake a stick
at we had a big time
the evening we had
orders to leave we took
our tents down it
a awfull thing to see
a battle field
to see dead men berried
In graves 30 or 40 feet
long the other day
i was on the battle
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field I seen men
prising a yankey out
of his grave the took
his teeth out and
berried him a gain
I could walk over
them like tha was
bruits tha smell like
bruits we have more
privalidge here then
we had at richmond
I could tael you
a bout dead yankeys
the you could shake
a stick at now I must
bring y letter to a close
write soon direct
to manasses Junction
28 regiment va volen
teers in care of P G
Breckenridge i hope to
remain your daer son
James B Painter