My Dear Wife September 28 1862
I receaved your letter &
was glad to heare from you Our readgement
has returned to this place again we are fairing
a great deal better than we did before we
get a plenty of beeaf & bacon but I do not
know how long that will last Dump
I have been before the Sargent of the poste
I was prenouncd unfit for duty but
the thing is this they have lade down the
law that no one shall be discharged untill
after this big fight is over in Mearlin [Maryland]
I have not seen any duty since my arrivel
excep once corple of the provose gard
in town I understand this morning that a part
of our readgement is ordered to Weldon N C
I have seen nore since I have bee heare than I
ever saw before in my life I went out the
other day on the turnpike roade & I saw
soldiers for five miles artilerry cavedritly
& infatry we drue a part of our money this
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morning 83 Dollars So I send you ten Dollars
I would send more but I am affread to trust
it in a letter but when Mr Harrass comes
out I will send you more & some other things
by him such as shugar & coffee but its worth
200 [$2.00] Dollars a pound when I Send you money 
I want you to by any thing that you may
kneed I want you to send me some little thing
to eat by Mr Harrass Some baked chicken
& a few potatoes & apples apples are worth ten
cts a peace potatoes 500 [$5.00] Dollars per bushel 
When this readgement leaves heare I think then
I can get to come home though if it was not
on your actcount I had rather be hear than
any whare els in the present state of affars
We have a chaplin now for this readgement we
have preaching twice evry Sunday & a pleanty
of tracts to wrade our readgement is not doing
anythin heare except garding the town it takes
125 men evry day for that purpose
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Dump if you can get them shirts ready in
time pleas send them by Mr Harrass it is
getting qite cole heare at night but if you
kneed the planel [1] for your self or Seaf do not 
send it for I can do better without it than
you can. you said you ware in hopes that I would
come home before I would kneed it you know
if it was in my power I would come home
to day but I expect I shall come when you
least exspect me. so you kneed not be uneasy
a bout me for if I get sick I shall come any
how but if I can keep my health at all I had
rather stay a little while longer I then come in
an onerable way. there has been a bill of comper[??]
interdrused which if excepted will bring this
war to a close. Jack & Charley are boath well
& send there love to you all Dr Peace Says he
is going to send Charleys little gurle a present
Captin Davis got a box of soap frome home
the other day & had it divied a moung his
company which was quite exceptable
[page 4]
Dump I will send you my degarotype by
the first passing I wish you would get
Buck to carry you down to Mr Hights & have
yours & Seaf dagarorutyp taken tell Seaf I
will send him somthing purty by the first
passing I want you to take all the care you
can of Seaf but dont spoile him if he kneeds
any thing in the [way] of cloathing when I send you
my other money I want you to get it for him
& also for your self I would of sent you
somting by John Parker but we had not drawed
our money then. they say we will mak a nother
draw next weeake tell Ant treressy I will try
& bring hear a peare of shoes when I come home
I must come to a close with my letter
you must write to me son & tell me all the
news & tell all the rest of the famely they
must write to me kiss Seaf for me & do
not let him forget me. give my love to
all the famely I remain as ever your
afectionate housmand J.A. Patton