Camp Granvill
July th 18th 1861
Richmon V. A.
Dear papa an the rest
of you all we left Wel
don arrived at Petersburg
at 5 O,clock P. M there
we stad untel the Sun
was nearly setting then
we started for Richmon and
we arrived here at 9 o,clock
P. m. then we had to
go about to mils to camp
and it was about 12.O.clock
when we got fixed so we
arose up this Morning in
the beautiful City of
Richmon. here they are prep-
-aring to fight evry day
they are bilding Bateres
[page 2]
and Fortifycations around this
city the enemy is 80.mils
from here. here are 12 yankeys
in prison here. they say
thare is 30.000 solders here
I never saw the like before
nor nether did I ever expect
to experians such atime.
here you can only imagion
the excitement but we kno
-w it the excitement.
Petersburg is a prety plase
it is situated upon the
Apomatoc River. but here
is a River it is James river
and the greatest Brig I ever
saw or I ever expect to see
it is about one mil long
and 30. Ft high they tel
me this place is 8 Mils
squar an Petersburg 6.
here at Richmon we see
Ships an Steam-boats
[page 3]
and it seams like every
thing else. Tents of all quar-
[??]. they look like banks
of Snow at a distance
I have just been walking
looking over the city of
Richmon. I saw Houses Ships
Steamboats of an enormos size
this is the rufest and most hilly
cuntry for a city to be prtch
upon I ever saw here is a hill
that we can go upon and vew the
magnificent city there was
a little Fight yesterday at
Manassus gap we do not the
perticklers we are lisning
for a fight evry day .
we have been sick ever
cince we left Weldon Brother
was taken with the sick head
-ache at Weldon and did not
know eny thing untel the
morning of eny consequence
[page 4]
but he is well now I hav
got and have had very bad
-cold the rest of our comp
-ny has ben toleable well
we can get eny thing
that is good to eat here
but w you we have to pay
our own money for it we
have not receaved eny yet
and I do not know when
we will we will be
ordered from here shortly
I reckon and whenever
you write to us back it
in this way
Joseph W Coghill
Richmon V.a
in the care of C
C Blacknall [1]
13 Regiment [2]
N.C Volunteers