June the 17 1862
Dear brother I will drop you A
few lines to let yo no that
I am tolerable well at the pres
ant but I have bin sick fur
the last 2 weekes I hope those
few lines will find yo all well
and dooing well I am A trying
A soldiers life tho it is the
hardest life I recon A man
ever lived but I hope I will
live to get home and see yo all
one time moar I was in
the fight on the 31 of may [Battle of Fair Oaks]
and I come out safe I hope I
never will get in to another
but out chans is very good to
get in to it and that be fore
long the way that the balls and
grape and canister come from
the enemy I wood A thot it
was im posable fur any of us
to escape it seems like
providens provided fur us
we went in the field with
A bout 65 men and we lost [65 men in Co. G, 4th NC Inf.]
[page 2]
28 killed and woounded 9 was [at Fair Oaks, the entire regiment lost 77 killed, 286
killed ded on the field wounded and 6 missing, a 54% casualty rate]
We have had some new arang
ments in our camp 2 regiment
went out of our brig aide the
.13. and the 14 north carolina
regiments is in our brigaid
I saw georg rufty and Jack hunter
last sunday the 5 regiment
and the 24 va regiment is put
in one regiment We are all very
tiard of the ware I got A letter
from home yesterday martha
and the baby was well it
does me so much good to here
from home I hope that the
lord will spare me to get home
the oald north carolina boys is
now come ing in I lov to see them
I will close my letter I want yo to
writ to me as soon as those few lines
comes to hand tell all of my relation
to wrte to me H F Rudasil Milas Kepley [his brother-in-law]
Direct your letter to richmon va
H F Rudasil 4 regiment St troops
4 regiment co G NC state troops
Rich mon va