Camp near Winchester
Oct 16th 1862
Dear Father I take the
opportunity of writing you
a fiew lines in answer to
yours of the 9th which I received
last night I had not had a
leter from home since I and Sloop
came out I was very glad to
hear that you ware all well
we are well at present
John has not bin very well
for Some time but he is well
now We are in camp at
the place we was when I
wroat befour a bout 5 miles
frome Winchester Elic past
within a half mile of us
as he went to his Regiment
they are camped a bout 4 miles
from hier near bunkers hill
I wroat to you once that I
had got them Shooes and
Socks I got them the night
before we went ove[r] in to
Maryland the pair that was
for me was too Small for me
[page 2]
I had bin bair footed So long
That I could Sceacley wair
Shooes at al we marched
day and night when we did
go I did not keep up at the
line toward the last
I Will tell you how that
Johns name was in that list
of wounded when we went
in to the fight the whole
regiment was cut up and Scattered
and he did not come up the
next day and Some of the
company Saied that they thaught
they Saw him in the
Ambulance and the report
was Sent off before he come
up their was but 6 or 8 of
the company their for two
day their was S[ome] 5 or 6 takin
one killed and ten or 11
wounded there is two that
we do not now whair they
are one is preacher Miller
and the other is John Miller
[page 3]
We have Drill once or twice a
day now it was a long time
that we had no drill but we
had Something harder Some days
we would not get to stop long
enough to eat their was a bout
a week that we never unroled
our blankets Some days times we would
not take them off atal in over 24
hours we was not allowed to leave
our armes and accouterments upon no
terms whatever when we left
hagartown we had two days rations
that we cooke for Sonday and
monday and we never got thing
except corne and apples until
Saturday we was in two fights
during that time and had no chance
to go off to get any thing we was
in frount nearlly the hole time
I did not Suffer much from
hunger not half like I did last
year at Mannassas I think
I coul do as wel with out eating
that [???]
three days now as i could one at
[page 4]
I have will have to tell
Some thing thoug it is hard
and that is we are hier whair
we can not get anything hardly
excep flour and beef to eat
Some days we get porke but
no salt we have not had a
pound of bacon in over two month
we started from Richmond
with just one suit and Some
with no coats I had a blanket
and me and John has bin
lying under that one blanket
we have got a good bed of Straw
now which helps us a great deal
if we do not Soone get some cloathng
and blankets we cannot stand
it It has bin that coald that
I could not Sleepe Some ar drawing
Cloathing to day it may we wil
Get Some in a fiew days
I must close write to me Soone
James W Overcash
Richmond va
Co. G 6th Regiment
N C S Troops

[added at the top of pages 2, 3, and 4]
It is reported that the Small pox is in the Texas brigaid
In this Division and
if that is true we will all
have them they are in Winchester