+ court house
Fairfax + [ 9?] 1861 va [September]]
Dear father and mother I take my
pen in hand to let you know that
I am well and hope when theas few
lines may fined you injoying the
same blessing I received your letter the
other day you wanted to know
what I asked for my oxens you
sell them for as much as you can
get and if you can get a cheap
colt by it with the money that
you get for the oxens you know
more About the news then I do
I here the bull dogs barking
nearly every day we air fairing very well
we get beef bacon rice coffee sugar potato
James Hamilton sends his best respects
you we air about 17 miles from
washington we air going on picket
to mrrow in sight of the yankeys
we air in fine spirits we aint
affraid of the eternal yankey
we have moved to fair fax
court house But still direct
your leters to manassas Junction 28 regi
ment Va Vol I care of P.J. Breck
enride we have received our mus
=kets I like the camp life fine
I weighed 131 lbs when
I left amsterdam and now I weigh
137 ½ lbs I have had my health
better since I left home then ever
did in my life we have the best
colonel we have a fine camp
all the craig Boys is in this
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regiments I have seen James
brown lee I have seen the
fincastle Boys and the fincastle
lite horse men we have a
firstrate capton this is a fine country
down here we press peaches tell
you cant rest we get the verry
roasneers we cant see any [roasting ears]
montains dwn here we
have splendid water down
here If we want any thing
corn we Just go to corn
field and get it the ladys
is absent dwn here
I was at preaching yesterday
when I get Back I will make
the gals stan a bout tell
miss sarrah that I am going
to write her soon tell georg
to let lucy hanes a lone
now I must bring my
letter to close tell all the
friends to write to me give my
bes respects to all the friends
write soon you will
haf to pay the postage for I
get my money chaged
so nothin more at preasint
only your affectionate
son
James B Painter