October 20 1863
My Dear Wife
I wrote you a few
lines some days ago but I do not
know that you got it so I will
try & write again as we have soped [1]
to wrest a day or two for the first
in 12 days I suppose you have
herd of the fight that we had
at Bristal station [2] five miles this
side of Manases gap this fight
commenced at 2 o clock of the 14 of
month & lasted untill 8 that night
I saw men shot down all around
but thank be to God I came out
safe we lost eighty men out of
our regiment & 115 out of the 44
regiment I suppose we are now
on our way back towards Richmond
we have had a hard time on this
march but we have stuck it very
[page 2]
Well so far I am very ancious
to heare from you I have spent
many a thoug[t] about you in this
march we had a cold time the
night after the fight we had to
lay in a line of battle in the field
all night I had no blanket nor
mattriss in the world to cover
with we suspected the fight would
be continued the next day but the
yankees all left that night
Dump pleas write soon as you
get this & tell me all the news
I do not know what to advise
you what to do about that land
Dr Pease has advised me not to
give my consent to the sale of
that land unless Mr Cope
will a gree to pay some other
kind of mony the mony for
that that other you can take it
[page 3]
Tell Jack when starts to the
regiment to come on to Kulpepper
pleas send me some tobaco if you
have any & my little testament & your
degurrotyp tell Mrs Wadkins
that H [3] keeps with ous but
he is not well A.P. Duke [4] sends
his best repects to you all & to
tell Buck not to get worried
untill he comes home I hope
that we will get back to our
olde state this winter when you
write I want to know where
you all are going to live at
I must close kiss the babys for
me & give my love to all the
family
I remain your devoted housband
J,A, Patton