Camp Pickens
Manassas Junction July 30.1861
Dear Papa I avale myself of this oppitunety
to drop you a few lines to let you know that we
are all well as could be aspected. We left Manassas
Junction this morning and station our Selves about
two miles from there We ware very glad to leave
there fore a better place It was the worst and nastes
place I ever Saw the water was half mud. and we
had to fight for that If we had stade there mutch
longer we all would have ben Sick. Yestaday the
Docter repoted one Hundred and Fifty Sick
But not dangerous. I think that we are at a
beter place now And I am inhopes that we will
injoy better helth. I reckon you have heard the
peticulars of the Battle at this place. It was a
sad Specticle to behold when the morning we
arived at manassas. People ware runing to recieve
us at every point with broken leges and
Shot off armes I cannot discribe this awfull
seen. It was awfull But it was the grates Battle
and the grates victory that was ever acheve in America
They estimated the propety at 5000000 of Dallars.
It is not necessary for me to gave you a full
detail of them all. The time is now come when
I must bring my letter to a Close. all of our
Boys sends there respects to you and all inquing Friends
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I would be glad to See you all. and Sweet little
Hettie Kiss her for me. Bless her Sweet little
Soul Mar I waunt you and Sister [1] to rase
Hettie good and ceep her out of the Sun
and be Shure tosend fore Docter Hester if you
have not don it. I would State Somthing
about Coming home But it is imposible for
me to com untill I found out whare we will
be Station I will come as soon as I can
Give my love and respects to all of my friends
Write to us often and we will do likewise
I will Close by Saying good by to you
all your affection Sun
K. W. Coghill


Dear Papa Ma Brother Fuller an Sister
Notwithstanding Brother and Jo have both
written to you I feel it enjoined upon me
to do the same but the shortness of time
forbids my writing but a verry few lines
I want to see you all worse than I ever
did in all of my life and I want to come
home verry bad but there is no telling when
I can come I wrote you a letter the first day
we got to Manassas and If you have got it
I reckon you infer from it that it was verry
bad times with us and it was at that time
[word cut off] [h?]ad we ben one day sooner we would
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we would have certainly ben in the fight
and after we got there the people wer
looking out for another attack every turn
for old Scott said he would have ths place
[in lesss time?] [????] in concequence of
which we were all verry sereous but now
the prospects is better [t????????????]
of ths letter farewell to you all
your Absent son
J N Coghill