University of Virginia Library

1863-09-27

I write a few lines illegible
in ansur to yours of the 16 inst [1] which come
to hand in due time, and Ill a shure you
that I were glad to here from you all an
to here that you wer all well, I had be
gun to think that you had for gotten me
Or had written an I had failed to get your
letter, tho I ser pose you had nt writen on
account of going to preachen, thare fore I wreaken
you are excusable for not not writen sooner,
this will in form you that through the mer
cies of a kind Providence, My self an James are
Both permitted to live in the enjoyment of
good health, and I hope this will find you
all enjoying the same great blesing, I wer
glad to here that you all had, had such
a good meeten at Hermon [2] I wish I could have
b bin thare with you all, I can here a some

Good Preachen here but I cant enjoy my
self like I could at Hermon

Oh when will the time come when we all
can return to our homes a gain an in
joy our selves like we use to, I am a fread
it will be a long time first if ever,
I think the prosspect for peece is very
gloomy now it dont look like eather
side is make in any prepperration for
Piece, thare are greater preperation forfight
en than ever, they have bin senden a great
many troops from here to Tenesee all of
Our Corps have gone exsept too Brigades
Our Brigade an Garnetts Old Brigade is
all thats left, all of Garnetts Brigade is a
bout Richmond exsept the 18th Regt is here
at Peters burg, some thinks our Brigade
will be sent to Tenesee but I dont much
think it will, as thare are such few troops
left here, we all thart that we would
have to go when we left Orange but
when we got near Richmond Gen Pickett [3]
sent us word that we would not leave

Virginia that we would re leave
the trops a round Peters burg, and Ill
a shure you it hope the men up mite
ly in for they all hateed to leave the
state, We mach marched 25 or six miles
that day an took the cars that night
an come at Richmond an come to Petersburg [4]
We dont have any duty to doo here now ex
sept Briga camp guard an drill we have
bin drillenthree times a day, I wish you
you could see us drill time. We have some
very nice Brigade drills, but I exspect
you had rather here some of the good
preachen we have here, we have some
as good Preachen as I ever hird, the
Rev John B Hardwick have Preached
for us sevril times since we bin here,
& the Chaplin of our Regt is a very good
Preacher Well I be leave I have wrote a
bout all the news that I have to write so
I will close, as we will have Preachen
in a few minutes, give my love to
all the famaly an to cousin Pollie Ann [5],
an June an her old man
You must write soon an give
me all the news, and excuse bad
writen an spellin