Camp near Guinea Station
Dear Pappy Ma and Mit Fed the 6 1863 va [February]
I take this
opitunity to write you A few lines
to let you know that I am well
and harty and I hope that when
those few lines reaches you they may
find you all the same I have not
heard from you in A good while
know I hardly ever gets A letter
but Still I write every weeak and
Sometimes Twice A weeak I wish
that I had something to write
that would interrest you all but
as I have not I will give you
the particulars of the battle that
wee had hear last weeak the
snow hear was very deeap and
the twelth Regt came up to our
Regt in A line of battle wee
formed our Regt and went to
fighting with snow balls so wee
made A charge on them and wee
ran them to thare camp and
thare twentheeth thare they ware
reinforced by the 20eth Regt and
[page 2]
finely wee whiped the hole Brg
ade our Regt ran them from
thare own camps and yesterday
it snowed hear all day and
just at night it commenced
raining and know it is still
raining and by the looks of the
wether it has no apperance of
breaking off under A day and
probily it is the best for us for
the yankes cannot cross the river
in bad weather they are still
on the other side and has made
and attemped to cross but made
A failure and the next time
I expect it will be the same
case thare was A Co of men
to be made out of this Regt for the
perperce of being Skirmishers
and it took 3 from our Co
George Ball Liga Hunt and myself
but Felix Best has taken Hunts
position and wee have to go in
front of the Brigade when they
go in A fight but when they
[page 3]
get to fighting wee fall back
to the rear and take up the
Straglars I would like for
the General to send this squad
home to bring the Conscrips up
heare and I will warrent that
wee will bring them I got A
letter from Cousin Amie this weeak
and she said that Brother was
going from thare the other day
and he met up with two of the
Conscrips and one was Charles
Edwards and Brother tried to
persuade him to go in the army
and he told Brother that if
he didnt leave he would mall
him with his fist and Brother
I suppose told him that he did
fight with his fist but if he would
stay thare untill he got A gun he
would kill him but when Brother
got A gun and got back he was gone
so I wish that I could ove ben thare
to ove whiped him on the spot it
made me mad when I heard it
[page 4]
So I am affraid that they will
hurt him yet but if he
hit you try your best to knock
him down the next lick and give
him A good whipping
well Pappy I have ben looking
for you to come out heare ever
Sence Mr Stwart left heare but
I dont reckond that you can
get the time to come out heare but
if you dont come yourself send
me something good to eat and some
cloths by the first one that comes
but I would like for you to come
yourself
well Mit me and
Rial haves A good deal of fun
and last night wee got to arguing
about the song of howell and I wan
you to write on your letter witch is
the wright way as it says see
him sits on yonder throne or see
he sits on yonders throne know I
want you to wright witch is the wright
way see him sits or see he sits so
I must close for the want of lines
So write soon and often and give
me all the news sogood by
So says your son and brother J. F. Coghill
[added in left margin]
Uncle James Stone is well]