Camp before Richmond        

June 20^th 1862

 

            Dear Sister

                                    I received your welcome letter last night and was glad to here that you all continued in good helth I have not been in the best of helth for some days but am now as well as I ever was. we are laying in sight of the enimy theyr men and ours keep up a constant cannonadeing. they Rebels threw some shell in to our camp to day they have been shelling all day I think that they will bring on an General ingagement yet if they do not stop the Rebels are intrenching there selves and our men shell them to keep them away 

 

Little M^c will be in to Richmond before they know it he will dig up on them we are within 5 miles of it now. I see by the papers that the Round Head Regt has been in an engagement in S.C. at Charleston they suferd greatly Johnston M^cCauley was in or his Comp was one company lost there Cap^t and 20 men they wer taken prisners. I do not know meny of them Henry Ferguson was taking so I understand from James Shupper of our Company he got a letter from one there was a grate meny New Castle boys in the Reg^t I have not much to write I must tell you this we have got the best water now that we have had since / we left Pierpont and one of the meanest camps there was an old camp here and we came in to it becaus we had no other. there is now 190 000 Rations comes to the Army daly there is that meny men or there wold not be that meny rations there is some of the officers that draws 3 rations but there is 160 000 men fighting men. I think that we will bag the Rebels here they cannot evackuate now I think they will make a stand. I was down at the river just below the camp yesterday morning and I herd our pickets and the rebels talk, and soon I seen one come over it was / this 4 of our men sit down to eat and the Rebel hallowed to them and ask them what they had for brakefast they told them that had crackers meat and coffee says he I have a notion to come and get some coffee they told him this if he wold they wold let him return so he come part the way and layed down his gun and come the rest got the coffee and told them that it was the first he had since he came in the service he started back and when he got a little way off he stoped told they he wold not go back he come to them again and they took him to the Genl he lives near washington and was presed in the service I talked to him so did 2 or 3 of this company he says that they make a stand at Richmond my paper has run out

 

I will close yours [?]               S A Lyon

 

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we cross the river for picket tomorow

 

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I want you to write soon

direct the same as before

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