Camp Near Bunkerhill V^a           

Oct 12^th 1862

                                               

Dear sister I seat myself this evening to drop you a few lines to let you know that myself & lewis are both well & have had our health well ever since we left Richmond altho we have had some pretty hard times of though through the Mariland Campeign I have not done any service since we came ought of meriland my horse has not bein fit for service for some 3 or four weeks I have had him in pasture some 75 miles from whare I am at this time the Capt made a detail of 100 men to take all the horses that wer unfit for duty when we came from Mariland James M^cRanolds took mine and some 6 or 8 others up the valey to Rockinham County I heard that he had got first rate pasture My horse was graviled the gravil worked ought above the hoof it made him very lame for several dayes & his back was / very soar I hurt it riding sideways while my foot was soar I did not stop but a few dayes when my foot was hurt it was soar & swolen up for some 4 weeks it is quite well now I went in the great fight at Sharpsburg with the 2^nd South Carolinar Regt I experanced some pretty hard fighting in that battle

 

                                    I have a notion to swap places with John Alison in the 37^th V^a Regt Capt Grahams Companey I am geting tiered of Cavalry it wears ought too many horses I canot afford to buy another horse and I do not think mine will stand service mutch longer. it is thought by a great many that peace will be made before long but I doubt it very mutch there is nothing stiring cince the battle of Sharpsburg we have some skirmishing with the yankey cavalry but it dose not amount to mutch Stewart is on a scout at this time in to M^d & Pensilvaney after horses he has bein gon too dayes we have not heard from him yet. the men tok five dayes rations so we nead not look for them for several dayes yet there is some 30 of our Companey dismounted some of them have no horses at all the have bein speaking abought letting the men that would buy horses go home and get them but I think they will talk abought it untill they ware it ought like they did last fall abought takeing our Companey ought home to winter. Lewis is with the Regt at this time I have not seen him for several dayes / he was up heare at the wagons some six or eight days ago his horse was in tolarble good fix his back had bein very soar but was getting better I heard from him this morning he did not go on the scout there was onley a detail from every companey 20 men from ours there is no sickness in our compney at this time. David Morell started to go home some six weeks ago but I heard of him up in the valey of Virginia some too weeks ago he was still there yet

                                   

Sister I wrote to you some four weeks ago but not receiving an answer I come to the conclusion that you did not get it I wrot to you to send my boots & a pare of pants & a couple of shirts by the first opportunity I have the last shirt on I have & the last pare of socks and those white and black specked pants that I brought with me from home last spring I have wore them for the last 4 months Study if you can send me some good heavy shirts and too pare of socks & a pare of pants & my boots I think I can do for a while I canot get any thing heare with ought you send it by some person that is comeing to the Regt I saw Joseph Anderson since he came back he informed me that you was all well when he left home it was the first I had heard from you all in a long time Dr. Huton told me allso that you wer all well we have bein encamped close to the 37^th & 48^th V^a Regts for some time I have saw a great many of my old friends / & acquaintenances I pass a great deal of my time with them I have nothing els to do at this time there is a great many places vacant cince I saw them in Abingdon before we left there

                                   

Cousin Will Hogg is a great loss to us all I canot think there is any chance for him to be alive very near all the prisoners that was taken in the Sharpsburg fight have bein paroled but we can hear nothing of him I deapley sympathise with Uncle Joseph and the rest of the familey for the great loss they have sustained in a dutiful son and a kind & affectionate brother We must all submit to gods will let it be hard or easy Give my best respects to Cousin James Hoggs familey & M^r Stewarts familey & M^r & M^rs Kenady & M^r Cassell & M^r Aston

                                   

My love to Mother & father to Laura & Sue & may god bless and protect you all from all harm is the wish of your            

Affectionate Brother

T.W.Collay

 

Adress Winchester V^a

Co D. 1^st V^a Cavalry

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