Camp Hill va
Oct the 8th /61
Dear Father I now take this
Opportunity of informing you that I am
well and hoping that if theas fiew
lines come to hand they may find
you all enjoying the same blessing
I have not received but one letter
cince I have bin hier I am expecting
one this eavening that box has not
come yet I think it will get heir
this eavening two the waggons went
over their to bristoe day before yesterday
they have not got back yet we
had a bowerful Storme of raine as
I ever hird it beat threw our tent
and wet us as wet as we could be nearly
I wroat to you befour I left camp jones
that I expected to be in a battle in
a fiew days but we have not bin
in it yet We have bin called out
twice cince we are hier one time down
in the Potomoc and the other day
we was cauled out and started
off we did not know whair we went
a bout a quarter of a mile and was
halted the Jeneral past a long our
line and I hird him tell the Colnel
that up a fiew rods further would
be the worst place then they commenced
throwing the fence away on our left
and in front they then filed us to
the left and formed a line of battle
I thought that we would have it then
[page 2]
they took some of the companys off
and put them on the other side of
the road then they took two more companys
off and station them a bout a half
a mile on the road their was to peases
of artilery their
we lay thar behind a verry thick
pies of woods in the corner of the field
we was ready for them but they did
not come they have not forgot the 21th July
they can stay on the other side of the river
better than they could befour
our men have got Severel batterys
on the river banks that will stop
them some of theas days they
have got them about campleated
it is their intention to stop them
from pasing eather up or down the
river they had a good deal of firing
up the river yesterday but I think
they was just dry thir gunns
We ar lisning for them every day
and every hour we are in six
miles of them when they are pasing
the river if they could Slip in Some
eavening they mite come on hier in
and hour or two and give us a buisy
time our briggaid is all that is cloase
her their was but a bout a thousand
at first a great many of them gout
killed in the battle and and I
expect more have died cince than was
killed in [??] October the 8th /61
[page 3]
Oct the 9 /61
I will try to finish my letter
this eavening I want you to write
to me as oftin as you can
and let me know about things at
home I would like to go home
ths faul and See what a change
has bin made cince we left
the Boys I recon ar Tollorble scaires
about there I want to know
how Wallas Lowrance is getting
a long now his crowd is nearly
all gon that us to rip around [1]
with him out frome
Some of them with out any
thing to chear them up while he
is fairing sumptously every day
wel we have a firstrate time hier
now we have a plenty to eat and
not mutch to do we have to drill
twice a day I have nothing to
to write of importance
We have a good deal of Sickness
her yet but not as much as ther
was som time ago We have
lost three of our company Mike F[?ze?]
William Sloope and Eagel
Osborn Graham and Rman
has the feaver Davie Sloope
William Smith and Charles Atwell
ar not well now and a good
many others that I can not mentin
[page 4]
Oct 10th
The mumps and hooping cough is in our
company and the each is in the Reg
James Graham is hier now and
has bin for two or three weeks he is
waiting on as I will send 30$
with him we got paid the
other day and I do not want to
kep all hier if it gets home
I want it taken care of til I come
or send for Something
We have to by our cloath and
I would reather get them from
Home if I can you nead not try
to Send anything without some
body is coming out hier that
wil take cair of it
this is the third day that I
have bin writing this
ther is so much confusion hier
that I can not write to do any good
I must close Write to me soon
and let me know how thin are
in general [???]
told me to give you all his best
respects he wants Mr to
write to him he said that he had
not Time to write first to all of them
he was working on the breast
works and had not time to
talk with me long So no
more at present write Soone
Respect yours James W Overcash to
Joseph Overcash