Petersburg va July 8 1863
Dear Brother
I receaved your
welcome letter this morning &
was glad to heare from you all
I am at a lost to know what
to write you as we do not heare
anything heare but ware news
you asked me to give your love
to Jacke & Charley I have not
seen them since I left the
regiment they have gorn over in
to Mariland I saw in the paper
this morning where the General of
that brigade was wonded they have
also taken a greate many yankes
prisners which they have refused
to be purroled they say that they
do not want to fight any more
so General Lee had to send them
back to Richmond They say that
[page 2]
Our boys are fareing sumptiously
they get just as much shugar &
coffee as they want & all kinds of
goods at the old prises & pay for them
in cofedrick [1] money they say in a
a march thrugh thoes little towns if
they meet with a man with a fine
hat on they will walk up to him
& take it off his head & put on thas
& through the old one a way I think
if I was out there I would fill my
napsack with coffee I am very anxious
to go out there but they will not
lett me off yet they will not lett
any of ous go out there they are affraid
the yankes migte cut off from our
regiment I am geting very tired of
this place though I do not feeal so
well to day I am trubled with
that olde pain in my back but
as I cant get home I had as soon be
any whare els as to be heare I can
tell you this is not Wilson N C
[page 3]
I will drop the ware for the present
& write something about home affars
you wrote something about seling
the land I think now is the time
to sell it you mention something
about pracureing another place
before seling that one which I
think is very right but I can not
advise you what place to by for
a place that would suit me might
not suit you all wheneve you bigh
a place you ought to get one that
will suit Papa you wrote some thing
about trying up about Laly
but I do not know off one place
up there that would suit you
all & that is the place that Dump
lived at & I do not know whether
you can get that or not for people
that has good land does not
care to sell it for confedrick
money Mr Hight had severel
small peaces that he would of
soled but you know how the land
is ther
[page 4]
My Dear Brother I sory to heare
the big foot malisea disturbs
you so much I would not
be bothered with them I have
not seen any call for men
under the last conscriptment
I do not think they can compell
you to serve unless for a short
time they can do that incas of
an immurgency but I hope &
trust that you will not have
to go I would give any thing in
this wourld if I could only get
to see you all once more but I
live in hopes of geting there after
a while & when I do get there I
am going to stay a while to
make up for all lost time
give my love to Dump & kiss
the babys for me tell Dump
I will come as soon as I can
give my love to all the family
I remain your affectionate brother
J. A. Patton