Chantilley Dec 1 first 1862

 

Dear Father Mother Brothers & Sisters i now take pen in hand to scratch a few lines to you all to let you know that i am well and Sam is getting better he has had the Janders very bad but is getting well as fast as he can I received your letter the 29 and was glad to hear from you i have been out on picket and have been releaved we have to stay on post untill we are releaved we jeneraly stand 24 hours the boys are in pretty good health and spirets the Cavelry has been to a place called allday and captured a party of Rebs of about 40 and some wagons about 80 head of cattel also about the / same number of horses they were out on a foraging expadition when our men came onto them the distance from here to the place is about 20 miles they had a pretty sharp fight but it was quick over the loss on our side was one man killed and 3 wounded on the rebs side was 10 killed and 7 wounded there was several got scratched and cut up some but not so as to call them wounded i was over to sea them rebs this noon they appeared to be in good spirets and loocked very well there was one of them that has been taken twise or three times before this so i guess he is a gon turkey this time the prisoners are under / A guarde at General Stalls Head quarters and will be sent to Washington as soon as they can send them. Now for a sight i saw an old darkey that was 108 years old so the people sayes that are around here he is very old you can sea by his looks he is almost bald and he is just like a small child he does not know any thing he cannot stear without help and you cannot tell wether he breaths or not halfe of the time he belonged to the rebel General Stuart and is now living on the farm where he has all ways been the house of his masters is General Stalls Headquarters now i should think it had / been a very nise place before the rebelion but it is gon now it has been all cut and smashed to pecies the fences all taken away and burned so you can juge for your selfe wether it is tore to pecies or not it has had an army of rebs or an army of union soldiers here for nearly 2 years so you can se that a farm catches particular fits where it stands any whers near an army head quarters it is getting late and i must close for this time give my love to all you must all write as soon as you can tell the boys i am very glad they write to me they must write and give me all of the paticulars

 

no more at present

 

Good by for the present.

William A Clark /

 

Jesse you are old enough to write and give me all of the paticulars you must try and write a good long letter write all about the folks and the wether and so forth. Good by

                                                                       

From your brother

WAClark

 

[upside down]

 

George you must write me a good letter and i will try and get time to answer it

            From your Brother

                        WAClark 

 

Direct your letters to me

Care Cpt James E Moore

Co C 17^th CV

Seigels Core                Washington

first Division                           DC

second Brigad

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