Deare Child I take this opertunity of ansering your letter witch I recived on the fiftenth of the month August and was verrey glad to heare from you and yours I would of ansered your letter before now but the day I recived your letter we had orders to pack our napsacks and get redey to march and wheare to we did not know We packed our napsacks Roal was called and wheare told go to bed witch we did and to wonder wheare we was a going. Well we had about got in a sweet slumber when we wheare called again to carrey our napsacks to the quarter marsters tent We carred them theare and went back to bed again

 

I had just got in a nice dose again when our Lieut came to and me Segt Mason I want you to get up and equipe your self and go with a squad of men and see that the napsacks are put safe on bord the vessel. this was about eleven Oclock at night got to the landing before day light but did not get them on bord untill ten or eleven Oclock the next day.

 

I had packed all my ink and paper in my napsack so thearefore I could not write untill I got that again

 

We marched four day and arived at York Town / Next day sent for our napsacks and when we got them thay wheare all spoiled every thing spoiled my dress coat and a new pair of trousers a verey fine pear two shirts stocking in fact every thing that I had in my napsack was spoiled all gone, so that thay are all thron a way and we will draw new ones in thear place. your Uncle George came heare yesterday from the hospitle and is mutch better then he has been, from him I get paper to write to you Thearefore you will not blame me for not ansering your letter sooner then I did

 

after the battle of Four Oaks I was so sick I could not the goverment crackers I could not eat, so the money that I saved was soon spent in geting some good brandey and bread and cheese and other little notions that I wanted. the price I had to give for them theare soon wasted my money

 

The evenvelopes and postage stamps that you sent me I put in my napsack with the rest of my things and thay are all spoiled

 

When I recive my next pay I will write to you how maney postage stamps send to me I understand that Harriet Abbey is married to Rufus Porter if its so I want to know from you weather its so or not, and wheare she is and what she is adoing and wheare she is living and how it hapens that its Rufus Porter that / she is married I hope that theare is no misunderstanding about the mater I cannot understand it but you must write and let me know all

 

We are encamped on York Town Plains with a fine view of the river with plenty of clambs and oysters and fresh fish and a fine holsum see breese I go on the banks of the river evrey morning before the sun is up to see it rise out of the sea as it wheare its then I think of you my children when viewing this pleasing sean Hapey thrise hapey should I be with you children around me and the place mine and the country in pease I must conclude with love to you all and may God bless you all /

 

Deare Grand Daughter I write a few lines to you Hoping that you have got over your tiredness by this time I often write when I am verrey tired to you I write this afternoon with grate plasure to let you know wheare I am and how I am I am at york town in Verginia a verrey plesant place wheare theare is plenty of fish and clambs and oysters and fish and theare as been plenty of peaches but thay are gon you must write to your Grandfather often and tell Nina she must write as often as she can

SOURCES