Fredericksburg Va May 16th 1863
Dear Sis
I now seat my self to drop
you Afew lines to let you no that
I am still in the land of the living
and well and harty but I thought
that my chance was slim while
the fight was going on but it is [1]
ended now but no telling how long
it will stay so Sis I received your
letter of the #++= and was glad to [2]
hear from you. I have read A many
A yankee letter since the fight I
would sent one to you but I did
not see none that I thought fit
as I would Sis some pople must
not care for going in to A fight
I will tell you one that will make
you think so the Sunday morning
while we were fighting I saw one
fellow that was going to shoot
at A yankee he had his gun up
[page 2]
to his face pointing at the yankee
and About that time A wild turkey
flew and lit down before him and
he took his gun off of the yankee
and shot the turkey and killed it
as dead as A door nail that is no
hear says for it is the fact dont
you think he wanted turkey pretty
bad for the yankees was shooting
at him all the time I’ll warrant
he is A brave fellow they boys is
got A heap of little Jokes on one
and other Sis I thought I had
seen fethers fly before I left
home but I never saw fethers fly
till the other day in the fight I
will tell you how it happend while
the fight was going on I was lying
behind A fence waiting for the
yankees to come they were then
shooting at us then with cannon
so that we had to ly down and A
house was in front of us About 20
yds and people was living in the
[page 3]
house but they had left Just be
fore the fight commenced and I
saw A bum shell strike the house
which hit the bed and then I
never saw fethers fly so in my
life but it was no time then
to look at fethers I had to look
for my self that evening the yankees
rein forced and come again Sims
Brigade 8 times they refulced them
evry time we were supporting
Sims Brigad but they did not
nead us and the way the grape
and canister was flying over us
was the way tell Benj that I
dont no what he saw in Mary
land but I never saw such
cannonading before. Sis I
dont think that we will
stay here we are fixt too well
and get too much to eat but
I hope we may stay hear as
long as the war last Sis If
me and you differ About Miss
[page 4]
F and Miss L for Miss L is A
heap the prettyest Sis write to
me soon and tell me if you new
that we were in the fight before
you got A letter but I no you
did tell me if the papers give
the names of the killed and
wounded Charley got wounded
there was A great many of our
boys wounded but only 2 killed
write to me and tell me if
Benj has got my watch yet
or not tell Benj to write me
soon Sis write to me soon
give me all the news
nothing more at
presant your loving
Brother
James