Camp near Winchester
Oct 12th [1862]
Dear father I take this
opportunity of writing a fiew
lines to in forme you that we
are well at present and hoping
if theas fiew lines come to hand
they may find you all well
We are in camp 5 ½ miles north
east of Winchester ne bunkers
hill we have had a very hard
time Since we left Richmond we marche
al the way from their the yankees
tryed to keep us from crossing the
Rapphahannac but we went
around them we was in sight
of them for more than a week
we crost a bove them and went to
the gap whair the Mannasas gap
Rail Road crosses the mountain whair
the yankees was lyin on the montan
on each Sid of the road and a
larg Stone mill house when they
cut Some Regt up pretty bad and then left
[page 2]
[??] [?] we went on to near
the old mannassas battle field
whair the yankees was making a Strong
stand we had a fight that eavenig
and drove the yankees from their
position then fell back to the Same
position the next eavening they
ware all in heavy force and our
Artilory opened on them and
they broke and run like Sheep
and our men advanced from one
hill to an other the last Stan they
mad that eavening was rite on the
Same place Shearmons old battery
was their was a line of dead
yankees [???] whair our men was
buerried and that woods was scaterd
with them me and John was
all over the field
We then went on to lees burg then
we found out we was a going to
maryland we was all glad to hear
that Some of the troops was over
the river then
[page 3]
We crossed four or five miles above leesburg
we then went on to Fredrick city whair
we staye two or three days and blowed up
the best railroad bridg tha ever saw their
was no wood a bout it we then went
in to hager town whair we Stayed
a day or two while Jackson crossed
the river at Williams port and come
down on this Sid of harpers fery
to Surround the armey their
On Sunday morning the yankees mad
an attact on our men at the gap between
midletown and Boonesburo whair we
had a very hard battle the yankees
got the better of us mour regiment
did not get in to the fire two regiment
of the brigaid was in the 4th Ala
and the 2nd Miss we then come in to
Sharps burg whair we was in the hardest
battle that has bin yet It comenced
befour day light and never Stope fifteen
minuts until an hour after dark they
would drive us back a while and
then we would drive them back
[page 4]
We stayed their the next day and
burried the dead and that night
we left our Division was the first
coming out when we got to the river
we did not do like we did when we went
over then we Stoped to take off our
Shoes and pants but that night
we never made no hault atal we was
al very glad to get across any way
I wil now tell you the price of
things in Mariland bacon 8cts Coffe 10
butter 12 ½ Shugar 10 – 12 ½ Soda 25 Molasses
15 cts to 18 pur qt Shoes from $1.50 cts to 4.00
Corse boots 2.50.. Chicken 10 to 12
We could not get any thing with
our Shinplasters every thing
is as cheap as ever it was their
they have the best crop of corne that
I ever saw It does not look over their like
their was any war going on atall
they are all for the union over
their I believe So nothin more
write to me at Richmond va
James W Overcash