Va Virginia
Hanover Court House May 25 1862
Dear Father I take my pen in
hand to inform you that I am well
at present hoping when these Few
Lines comes to hand may Find you
enjoying the same Blessing I received
your Kind Letter to day and was truly
Glad to hear From you and to hear that
you was well we was orderd out in
a Line of battle yesterdy and had to
stand their in the rain a bout 2 hours
They said they was a bout one Thousand
yankey cavalry in 1 ½ miles of us but they
Got Skerd and turnd around and went
back and it was well For them For we
had 6 or 7 Regiments all ready I tell you
it made some of them Look mighty
Skeery but it didant Frighten me a
bit For I though that If it was god aly
mighty will I was ant worth
Worth while to be Skeerd a bout it
[page 2]
I will Tell you What they made me
Pay For a half a pye at Madison they
Made me pay 30 cents I was a bout
Half Sick and They Thought I was a
blige to have it I have sent 20 Dollars home
and Pade N. Bohannan 5 dollars and I have
25 Left I have traded around and made
about What I spent If you Kneed any
more money and think I can resk it I
will send a bout Ten more Dollars I will
Draw 22 dollars more in a week or two
a Fellow dont need more than 15 or 20
dollars and I dont Expect To Keep any
more The verry First chance I get I expect
to Send some more Father you wanted
to Know What Kind of Guns we have we
have the old United States muskets they
are two companys has the enfield Rifels
that will Shoot 800 yards They are
the Flanking Companies They is a gowing
to be one of the Bigest Fights at
Richmond that ever was and they say
That will end the war They say
[page 3]
we have one hundred and eighty thousand
that draws Rations in that Destrict I can
tell you that we have had a heap of ups
and downs Since we Left Kinston but
I dont care For them Tell W D Howard
I wrote him one Letter While we was at
Kinston and havent got no answer Yet
Tell George To Write to me and Tell me all
a bout the girls and I will Write to
him So no more at present but
remain your Loving sun till death

William A Tesh
To Moses Tesh and Family
When you Write direct you Letters to
Hanover court House Va
[page 4]
Dear Little Brothers and sisters
I must write a Few Lines to Let
you Know that I am well and harty
and hope you are I want you to be
Smart Till I get back and do all you
cane and make all the corn you can
and When I come home I will Bring
you somthing that will please you
and hury and Grow up to be big enough
to be a Soldier so as you can come here
wher I am and not be cowards Like
Some of them boys that is Left behind
and Tell them when I come home I
give them Fits For not comeing tell
The Girls I said If they ever wanted me to
go with them not to Let them W A Tesh