Monassas junction Wedenesday
Morning August 14th 1861

Dear Papa I will write you all
a few lines this morning to let
you know how we all are we
are as well as common all except
yancy [1] and I am sorry to say that 
he is dangerously sick he has ben sick
ever sick ever since we have ben
here he is now out of his head all
the time I and Brother set up with
him all night last night he has got
the Typhoid Fever Wee think the
Dr tends him everry day we carried
him up to the Hospittal yesterday
he has got a good cot to lay upon
and is verry well fixed but he has
fallen off so much and weakened
by the Daeirhoea that we dont think
he will ever get well
[page 2]
he lies and groans all the while
and is talking out of his head all
the time it is certain that unless
a speedy alterrations takes place he
cannot live long you might let
his folks know that he is sick for
he told me to write about his being sick
the rest of our boys is tolerrable well
Fuller is sick and James Gill [2]
but not much James Breedlove has got
the Measles but is getting well we all
expect that one or the other of us will
take it every day but neither of us
has taken it yet we all want to have
it now for we will have to have
it there is a great meny sick in our
regiment but there has not been one
died yet a man from Capt Harleys
company died here night before last
he was burried yesterday evening
and when they left the grave he was
saluted with the fireings of guns
we are all here in two miles of
[page 3]
Manassas yet but we are under
marching orders we expect to leave
here in a few days and go to fairfax
Which is about fifteen miles from
here we are all in verry bad spirits
now for since I have commenced writing
a battle has commenced some where
for we here the cannon ever ten
or fifteen minutes but we dont
apprehend as much danger from
the enemy as we do from disease
Papa you said somthing in one of your
letters to us about comming to see us
and I wrot you an answer but it was
misplaced before I mailed it so you have
not heard how you could get to us
Capt Blacknall said you could come
here by comming to Richmond and
getting a certificate from Abram
Venerable we all would be verry glad
for you to come but but it is a dificult
I reckon if you dont think it is to great
a risk to run we would be glad for you
to come
[page 4]
we all want to come home the worst
sort but it is imposible for us to come
soon it seems to me that we have ben
from home six months some of us will
come as soon as the colonel will let
us tell Mr Ellington that we all
want see him very bad and tell
him to write to us there is nothing
of much inportance to write and
I am with yancy now and he keeps
such a groaning that I cannot half
write the Dr says he thinks he is
a little better to day you all must
write to us often give my love to
aunt Harriet and my family and all
all of our friends Nothing more at
presant but Remaining your
Affec tionate Sun
J. N. Coghill