Miss A. C. Armentrout
Greenville
Augusta County
Virginia Miss A. C. Armentrout
Sept 16th 1863
Camp Near Orange C.H.
My Dear Kate
Once more I have the privilege of dropping you a fiew
lines. My health is very good & I hope theese
fiew lines may find you enjoying the same blessing. For
the last two or three days we have been exspecting
a fight. The enamy advanced on our cavelry last Sunday at Culpeper C.H. & drove them back after
a sleght engagement to the Rapidan River. We recieved orders Sunday night at one OClock to cook one
days rations & be ready to march at day light early Monday morning we
ware marched down below
O.C.H. for to await further orders. The
enamy crossed the Rapidan at Raccoon ford. Gen
Early with his devision drove them back I suppose it
was nothing more than a Yankee raid trying to reconoiter our strengthe & position.
Thare is many rumers
afloat I know we are not settled yet I would not be serprised if we dont go to Fredericksburg
evry thing seems to indicate a change of base. The
grater portion of Longstreets corps; if not all;
has left us for some point not known to me now Capt G. arrived yesterday evning with eight men; a heavy reinforcment for our com. We have the largest company in the Regt some fifty odd reported for
duty. The boys all seem cher
full; & willing to
meet the enamies of our country on any field to
dispute our rights with them I hope we may go back to our old camp &
remain thare
untill the weather gets colder & I fear to if
we go on a long march that I could not stand it on account of my toe We had
preaching evry night while we ware in camp The Rev. Mr Taylor of Staunton preached to us Monday
evening I believe thare
ware more than five thousand soldiers gathered under the
sound of his voice eagerly listening to the words of light & life that
seamed to flow from his lips at the same time we
could hear the booming of the distant canon while he
preached I prayed that the
holy spirit
might fall on us, as it did on the children of iseral
on the day of pentecost & that thousands might thare make thare peace with God. Dear Kate when
you recieve this no doubt you will say cold; so cold;
but I would not have you think thus for thare is not a
beat of my pulce but beats true to thee. O how often I
think of the past when you ware by my side; my arms
encircling you waist & you sweet lips gently
prest to mine than I was
happy; yes happy; as the gay warbler whilst they are singing thare notes of praise to thare maker I must
soon close your Br is well I had a notion to close him up in his box &
send him home awhile to his fond & loving sisters my love to all good by
my best & dearest Kate
write soon to your
Willie
