the
Hanover . Junction .this .25 .of .May . 1864
My dear wife I now Seat my Self to answer your
cind letters that I received weak before last I
was truly glad to hear from you but I am Sorry
that I cold not rite eny Sooner but you must excuse
me for we have bin fighting now for the last 27
days we had fore men wonded but nary one cild
I am well at the present and I truley hope when
theas few lines reaches you they will find you
well and allso my Sweat little daughter my dear
I hant mutch time to rite I must Just put up my
letter as I can for I hant got time to rite mutch
as we air on line of battle and fireing every cople
ours we have whipt the yankeys in evry fight
yet we have had brest works to fight behind
and the yankeys charged them with ten lines
of battle they wold charge up in about ten
Steps of our brest works and Stand as brave
as Sheep and our men wold Just Shoot them
down like flys they lay three and fore men
deep in front of our brest works they was
anough yankeys cild to make fortifercations
all round Salisbury old grant Ses he is going to
fight us Sixty days but what he will have
richmon I think he will hafto fight
three times Sixty before he gets that plase
[page 2]
My dear wife I must Soon close my Short
letter as it is now geting dark and my dear
I cant See abit after night I cant See
what has got to matter with my eyes
My dear wife I now Seat my Self to finish my
Short letter to day is the 29 of may as I did
not get the chance to finish it the other
day I will now finish it I can inform you
that we air now in a 11 miles of richmond
and Still marching toward the citey
my dear we air exspecting abig fight
before many days the fight will be
close round richmond I must now
close as we air halted hear in the
midle of the road I will close
by asking you to rite Soon
and oftin I Just hafto rite
by chance no more at present
rite Soon I remain your dear
tru love until death
John H Hartman to
Partha L Hartman