March 25th 1862
I recievd your leter yesterday evnin
and was very glad to hear from you I will try to
answer it the best I can I would hav wrote to you
before now but I havent had the opportuneity of
of doing so we had to leav Manassas on the 8th in
the night and hav been travlin off an on ever sence
we are about sixty miles from manassas near orange
court house but I can not tel how long we will stay here
but I will write a gain as soon as I can and lite
you know where we are we ma leav her before long
and if we do I expect that we will go to gordensville
I will tell you what sort of a time we had we left
Manassas on Sunday night an marct tel twelve oclock
and all next day and the next and then we rested
three or four days and then we went to culper court
house and rested a day and night and travld 2
more days in all makeing five days the rain and
mud was very bad but we made out very well
we had to leav the most of our bagage but I saved
the most of mine I lost a pair of pants and 1 pair of socks
Lieutenant [&?] rufus Brown and Ed Donthit and sevrell
recruits came in safe yesterday eavning Ed brought
me a fine pair of Boots and 1 leter from you which
revived me considerable I understood who you
ment that you was sory for but I dont think
that you keende to bee uneasy a bout him for I think
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that he can stand it Ed told me that he had a fine
time at hartmans weden he said that I ought
to write to you often he talked like that he thought
rite well of you him self I told him that it was
all right it isent worth while for you to write
to me untell I write a gain for I might hav to leav
before a leter could reach here tell Marts buly
that Ed told me that Bill Johnson has been
passing down that a way he said that Bill told
him that she was the prettyest girl that ever he
saw and that he had fel in love with her
I few more lines to you and then I will write som
to Jimey you neadent to bee uneasy about me for I
think that I can stand it a few months or years
if nesessary and then get back home and if
I do I intend to do things up right I think a
greatdeal a bout old times and hope for such
a gain tel Jim that I would like to ride
a round with him and se the young me
that is skerd to deat about the draft I recon
that I had beter close for the present giv my
respects to all inquireing friends and keepe
as much for you self as you wish this
from H. H. Hanes to Miss Nancy Williams