In Camp Near Richmond
the
July 6 1862
My dear Father & Mother
I once more take
The presen opportunity to try to write you a few lines
I hardly know how to commence writing for we have
so much bad nuse and a greateal of good nuse to We have
runn all the Yankees of the battle commenced June
the 25 and lasted one week We have drove the enemy
back about twenty miles or upwards Our men has
give them a compleet whippin and taken thousands
& thousands of prisinners: We have not herd much
about the losses on ary side but I tell you it is
a powerful loss on bouth sids: I had just came out of
the hospital a few fays before the battle commenced
I staid with the regiment four days after the fight commenced
but it was about all I coul do to do my part: I had the dierear
and it grew worse on me till I were oblige to give up an stop
I laid up til yesterday and then I came back to old camp
where our bagedge were I am doing very well now only I am
tolerable weak yet Our regiment got alon threw the fighting [1]
very well and did not looss but very few men until
about the last day of the fight [2] They had to make a charge on 
the yanks and got cut up very badly: Our Co suffered severly not
[page 2]
But few killed but a great many wounded Our capt and
second lieutenant is wounded Ben & Henry Merrell are boath
wounded and in the hospital together Jessee Gudger is wounded
Ben is all the Swannana boy that is wounded in ou[r] co I believe :
There is several of they boys that was not able to be in the fight
that lives on Swannanoa: Alfred Rice is missing we do not know what
became of him O it is awful to think and see how the men
are slautered and so many diing with sickness if this
war lasts six months longer and there is as many
lives lost as has been in the last six I think the men
will be thined out smartly on both sids: Well I will say nomore
about the fighting at present:
Bad nuse but it is Gods will
Collonel P. W. Roberts died July the 4 he had the feaver his
sickness lasted him something over a month B. F. Fortune
& J. H. Walker started home with his body this morning
Captain W. C. Brown died July 6th he died with feaver: also:
R. G .Suther & Henry Cauble will start home with his
remains to marrow morning Our lieutenant Colonel
& Major has been sick for some time it is doubtful
whether our Major gets well or not Harvey Britten has died
& Mr Weaver of boath of our Co since I wrote last O we are
numbers and numbers of our noblest men
Jacob is still mending he was sent to Petersburg
the other day They have sent all that was able to travle
so they would have roum for the wounded I received a
letter from Jaane [3] the other day an was truly glad to hear
from you all She said something about Jacob not writing he has
got very cearless about writing and he puts the job on me and
it tirs me pretty bad She said something about sending some paper
I have a five cen t[?] yet and I can get pape[r] at some prices [4]
you said if we wanted any thing to write for it I would not care
if you could send me a strong pare of janes pants and a pare
of sox Jacob would like to have a par of sox to: do not put your
selves to much trouble to get them for we are not suffering for them and it is
a bad chance to get things here I will send this by Mr Souther
I got along threw the bums pretty well nary one hurt me but they went
Very close some times I think in a week I will be able to try it again
Write when you can and Ill do the saim no more for the present
to J. L. Patton & family W. M. Patton