August the 7, 1861 Yorktown VA.

Dear Brother I again take the opportunity of
Trying to Rite to you to let you know that I
Received your kind and loving letter in dew
Time and was glad To here from you all and here
that you was all well I would have Rote soner
But I have bin sick for 3 weekes & was very low
When I Received your leter & I am bad of yet
But I do hope and pray that I may git well
And live to return To my desolate famley onst
More there is about half of our Company sick at
this time and some of them is Bad of there was
One of our Company departed this life last knight
And it is to Be hoped that he is gone to rest where
there will be no Battles to fight nor no lamenting
to git home But where all is Well he was a young
Man by the name of harrison avry a son of James avrys
And I think he was a good boy & herd some of our men
Say this morning that they thought he was prepared
To dye as To fiting We hant had nary battle sense
the battle at Bethel Church all of our men has
Gone down there know But our ridgment gineral
Mcgrooder [1] has tuck 10 thousand men down there
And is agoing to attact newport news this is The
Morn ing that he was to Make the attact But we hant
herd from them to day it will be asevear attact
for they ar well fortyfide there I think our men will
tak it But they will lose many of ther men
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they left here the other day with John and
Brach hmhills Brother he dyde here and they
tuck him home I want you to give John hemphill
houdy for me tell him that I would be glad To
Se him tell old ant Cate hemphill houdy for me
I am so weake that I Cant hardley setup to Rite
But I will try to give you alittle histry of the battle
At Manases Junction on sunday the 20 of July they
had apourful Battle there they fit one hole day
they only kiled about 5 hundred of our men and
wonded about 4 or 5 thousand our men kiled 7 or 8
thousand of the yankes & wonded 15 or 18 thousand
of them We whipt them Badley and tuck every
thing they had the say when they did Retrete that
they run over one another & women & Children and
kiled lots of them selves I supose the like never
was knowd in the world our men got about 70
peaces of Canon & 20 thousand stand of armes
And 500 wagons & teames besides thousands of
other things they say what they got from the
Enemy was worth one Million & ahalf of dollars
If I made no mistake in reding your letter I think
that you said that mother said if she had
Somebody to Come with her that she would Come
To se me I would give this hold world if I Could
Just se her Coming But that I never expect to
Se tell My Dear old mother houdy for me if I
Could se her this morning I dont know what
I would give I still try to pray that I may
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live to git home onst more to se you all But
it is doutful about that tell Mr Walker that
I send him houdy and my best love & Respects tell
him to Remember me in all of his prays give Mrs
Satterwhite and famley houdy for me and all inquirn
friends tell Gorge & gemima houdy for me tell them
that I think they Might Rite to me I would rite to
them But I so mutch riting to do for our boys that
I hant got the Chance tell mr alen that I hant
forgot what I ow him & if I live to git back I will
pay him give him my respects Columbus & Joseph
Williams is well it mity Bad to be sick here for there
Is nothing to eate that asick man Can eat We ar
looking for thomas walton & others here today mary
Rote to me that she was going to send me abox of
Aples & Cucumbers & unions she would send me
Somthing that I Could eat But she hant the
Money to git it with nor I Cant no money to send
To her We hant got no Cent of our wagers yet they
Ow us about [????] dollars each know if could some
of it we Could by somthing that we Could eat here
But it would be hye to pay ther prices Afew lines
to Marthy it made proud to think that you put up
your potisions in my behalf Marthy I do hope and
pray that they wer herd and ansurd in haven
I also try to pray for you all as well as I know
how there is aheep of wekeedness going on here
But thank God I never have have pertuck with none
of it nor I never intend to as long as I live
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let that be long or short I want you
to beshure to Rite sone as this Comes to hand
If we should live to se that time Role
Round We will be disbanded the 13 of november
in Raleigh
So nothing more at present only Remanes
your loving Brother till Death
So farwell Peter Poteet to F.M. Poteet
And famley Mother and all
inquirnes friends