July the 19 th 1863
Dear brother I once more have the opertunity of riting you a
few liens which will inform you that I am well and harty at this time
and hoping these few lines may reach your hands in due time and find
you well and my friends also I recieved your kind letter dated the 25 of
June and was glad to here from you it has bin rite smart while since I
had the opertunity of riting to you I have ben marching the most of the time
when I went in lien of battle for 6 or 7 weaks I was in the battle of
winchester and we ganed a grate victry thare and tuck a larg amount
of prisners and then we went in Marland and threw thare and into
Pencilvany and marched in 18 miles of the captil of Pencilvany
and then we turned our coars and went to Gatresborg and thare we wer
in another big battle it lasted 3 days we backed the yanks 2 or 3 miles at first and
they got on a mountain and fortifide and we fout them 2 days in their fortify
cation and we had to fall back and they wer troubling of us all the way back
threw marland and we had to form alinen battle before we got to the potomock
and threw up brest werk and lay thare 3 days for our wagens to cross the river
and the yankes was in site and a scrumishing all the time and we left
our brest werk at dark one nite it was about 4 miles to the river
[page 2]
but the road was so full of troops and they crossing the river
it was next morng when I got to it it was up under my arms
and when the last of our troops crowsed the yankes was so ni on
them they had to whip them back and so I am in the vales of V A now
but a long ways from home yet it is something near 200 miles to richmond
from here the yankes repoarts they lost 42.000 men in the fite and
our repoart is 20.000 I wish I had got wher you did for I am tired of so
much fiting for they is some part of the pertomac army most allers afiting I am
tired of hering guns let alone fiting this army noes something war but I
hope you never will I daunt think you see any of this war wher you stay I
shod be glad to tell you the towns that I have ben threw but I tell you
some other time if I vive to get aletter from home June the 30 and my
little boy was sick and Elizia was give out werk with the rumitiz
the way this war is agwine I wish it wod go and be dun of such werk as this
we get 1 pound of flour a day and and about 1 pound of beef and when I
get hingry I can eat it at 1 meal but I buys some when I can and gets
along some how this is badley dun and I tould you nothing of my rout
yet but I will close my scrabling rite soon and direct you letters to
richmond V A the 3 regement N C State troops
Co E farewell my dear brother I must bid you farewell the love
that have for you no one can tell I wish above all things we all may be
prepared to meete agin from N. McLeod to Daniel McLeod