Camp at Yorktown Va

May 10, 1862

 

Dear Father Sisters and

brother I received your letter on the 9^th also the Murcury and was glad to hear from you for it was long time since I received an answer I sent a letter away on the 30^th of last month but this is not an answer to the last the money was given to the quarter Master for he was going to New York I also sent a 1$ bill of Rebel Money which I found in Manassas on the night of the 3^rd there was heavy cannonading and continued till sunday morning the 4^th when we heard that Yorktown was evacuated so we got marching orders we took down our tents ready for the word but we did not go till Monday morning and then commenced to rain we went to about a mile of Yorktown put up our tents and was there about 1 hour when we / got orders to march again for our troops where fighting at Williamsburg which is 12 miles from Yorktown we marched that night till 10 oclock raining all the time we halted regiments where scattered all over it was hard work knapsacks about twice as heavey blankets wet could not see your hand before you roads where in an awful state and slippery so the next morning we started again to within 5 miles of Williamsburg and start then and halted put up tents and started again on Wedensday for Yorktown at that place we are now it is a verry strong place batteries all around it the Rebels before they left they put torpedoes in the ground with a piece of stick sticking in the ground and when you pull the stick out of the ground off went the torpedo I seen a great many of them there is about 50 houses in the / town a good many where hospitals they left a great quanity of amunition behind and guns this is a verry strong place and is about 50 feet from the level of the river this is a great place for swimming hundreds are in the water and plenty of oysters in the river you can go out and pick them with up with your hands this is a great place for making money and spending loaf of bread 25cts pies 25 eggs 50cts dozen if a man had about 50$ he could 150$ they way they sell here

 

PS I received a nother letter last night the 10^th which I was expecting I sent home 23$ and paid 25cts for sending it instead of putting the money in Adams Express he gave it to the Quartermaster which I learned soon after it was a money making scrape / the whole of it there is some talk about us getting disband I hope it is true it is the only Division in Yorktown other Division are going to West point and Williamsburg if we had of march on fast Sunday the 4^th to Williamsburg we would have been in the fight there was a great loss on both sides I believe our Brigade Generl is going to join the regulars which he formerly belonged on the 18 I dont see what we are doing here it looks very strange I think there is to many men

 

PS I spoke to the Captian this morning he says he will [?] it he expects a letter to day from his wife

 

Direct same as before you can send the Murcury every week it will reach me wherever I be

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