Camp Inward

Farefax C^o V^a

Dec 1^st 1861

 

Dear Brother I received your verry kind letter of the 24^th with mutch pleasure hapy to be able to say to you that your letter found me well I hope these fue lines may find you all enjoying the same blessing I was glad to hear that father had got better tell him that Dumsey M^cRanolds is at the Junction sick Gilbert Grenway is well and sends his respects you him I heard from Dumpsey and Rufus Cassell he is allso sick and has bein for some time they are both better Rufus is able to come back to the Regiment he will be hear in a few dayes / the rest of the boys is well except Th^os Bailey he has bein sick with a head ache for a day or too I had a sevier spell of head ache the day after I received your letter but have got entirely well of it Tom is allso better it is nothing but cold I think we are exposed to wet and every thing that comes a long I wrote to sister a few dayes ago an answer to her letter that she mentioned in your letter for fear she did not get it I will mention what she wished to know abought my box every thing came to hand safe except the phial of ink it was broken it was a small loss we have plenty of ink hear abougt the shirts I do not care abougt any lincy over shirts if I can get some good flanel under shirts and a couple of good strong / coulerd coton shirts and too pare of wolen slips 1 pare of socks the comfort I wore last winter the blancket you say is ready get some of the ladies to knit me a pair of yarn suspenders I do not know whether to have the things sent yet or not you can get them all ready if you have not started them wate till you hear from me again Co^l Jones is trying to get this Companey back home this winter I do not know whether he will suckcede or not General Johnson promised him an answer in a few dayes if we have to go down on land I do not care whether he gets us of or not there is no news worth wrighting you we ar still expecting the enemy to advance there has a small party of them / come up to the court house picket on the 27^th inst and exchanged a few shots with our boyes Biley Morell and Gilbert Grenway wer on post whare the enemy came to they fired on them as soon as the fireing was hear at the reserve they wer joined by some 10 more of our boyes the exchanged some 40 shots with the enemy there was abought 60 of the enemy they could not stand our fire they took to their heals and left us We did not hit any of them We woonded one of their horses they did no hit any thing on our side we sent ougt a scout the next day but could not see any thing of the enemy you said I did not mention my horse he is in a bought as good fix as he was when I left Richmond he has had the Distemper twice since I left Richmond he has got over it now an has improved very mutch in the last three weeks we have had pretty plenty of food for our horses this fall it has bein geting tolarble / in the last few dayes they are on half rations to day and to morrow if this kind stile lasts long we will be all a foot back I wrote to Jesse Browning some time a go if he is going to answer my letter I want him to let me know and if he dont I will pull his wool when I get home that is if the yankeys donot get me and those caps I do not want him to forget them and allso not to forget the price $2.50 that is all I can give Give my respects to M^r Cassell and lady and Uncle Adam Jesse and M^rs Browning a Miss Ann and all my old friends / tell old friend Hogue that I hope the Malitia may be orderd ought so they can get him tell him if he will come and take my place a while he can get shet of going in the Malitia tell M^r Stewart that I and Will White would be glad to see his face down this way with a jug of whiskey Wright soon and tell me all abougt the girles tell Mother that I have become quite devought I read a chapter in my testament every night I and Will Morell both read a chapter every night Will sends his respects to you all tell Sue and laura howdy for me nothing more at present but remain your afectionate brother           

Th^os. W Collay

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