Camp Winfield Scot Aprilrst April 1rst 1862

 

Dar wife once more I take my pen in hand to rite a few lines to let you no that I am in good helth and hope this will finde you the same I receved your kind leter the first of may and was glad to har from you I am glad to hear from you at any time it is hard work for me to write but will do as well as I can you spoke about my leter that the folks wanted you to shoe them but I am glad to think that you did not let them see all you say that you would like to have me to get home by the time that you wer to be sick but my gal you would not like to have me get back eny beter than I would lik to Tis Sunday after noon once more and I am hear on apeace of bark trying to talk with you do you har wat I say to you think chance if you do this way talking if not like it was when we wer to gether so we could sit in each others laps and could sit and talk as we was amine to but cant tel when it will soon be we hear a grate deal about dischargeing the troops but what we hear in the army we cant blieve one half that we hear but hope it is true about leting the troops go to their homes the rebels are whiped and they one it but some wants to keep it up as longe as they can they have had some prety stronge places but it seems as tho the rebels wanto keep us hear as longe as they can they will make a stand and bild up fortifications and stay a while then when ar men comes up and pres on them they will fly for the cat hole / they are badly whiped but dont no it yet they have vacuated york town and now are trying to get into the coten states if they get their we shal have to go to help them whip them their but hope they will get cot up befour longe. the reporte has come in to camp that our men has taken 30 thousand rebels priseners and another time they took 18 drivers and 18 teems and wagons think if the union party keeps on the rebels cant last longe they they comenced afite Sunday morning the 4^th and it lasted aboute one ourer and then the firing stoped on this side their was one man killed it was a Zsowave when the rebels fired their bum shel it hit him in the back of the hed and split his hed open and their was about to hundred of the rebels killed so I think the rebels will soon be played out tusday 6^th well my gal how do you get alonge this eavening I am prety well and hope this will find you the same we have had a prety hard march we had to starte on monday morning marched about 12 miles with our napsacks on and all most knee deep if we had met with the rebels that nite think they would fared slim

 

            Wensday 7^th hear you can we have marched back to york town expect to take the bote for richmond but dont no how sone we shal go we hear agrate deal about the wair but not as much as you do The talk is that they are agointo keep all that is under 35 and over eighteen they are agointo keep in the survace the three yeares

 

            Thirsday 8^th Well my gall hear you can see by this we are at york town once more dont no when we shal leave hear but we expect / orders evry minute If we have to stay how would you like to come hear and stay with me if I have to stay I would like to have you come and stay with me but I think the story will be told be four longe wether we have to stay or not and if we do I will try and get a good place so you can come and stay with me. you speak of my geting home in all of your leters but my gal I would like to get home as well as you would like to have me but if I cant get home I will try and get a good place for you to stay with me Another thing if I cant get home befour you have a child I would like to have you take good care of your self The rebels has left evry place that we have went to yet they will not make a fair stand at a place but I think that they will make a stande their they cant easly get away the last fite that the rebels had with our men they had a grate many of the Ceaces killed one of the boys of our company went neir the fite was and he sed their was nearly one hundred ded bodeys lay on the ground and guns in evry direction but you think it must horible to see a large body of men laying ded on the ground but if they do not want to get killed let them serender their was a teligraph graph dispatch came into hed quarters last nite that burigard had serenderd from the servace of the South and if that / is true the rebs will soon give out I have not much more to rite as I no of

 

I have sent you som money exsect Dan will get it and you must take what you want and then let Dan have the rest and then let me no what he sas had in the hole would like to have you take a note fore the hole and try and get that money that bil woderd oes me

 

            You sed that I improve in in riteing but if you can read this I think that you have improved in reading so if we keep on we shal get to be prety smart

            I have no mor to rite of eny conceyquence only to say that I am well at present and hope that you are the same Lute lays by the side of me sick dont no what will be become of him he docter ses that he will have to go to the hospitel if he dos he will be apt to get home befour I do        Ruth if I wer only wheir you are I think that we would always stay to gether you must excuse this scribling and for get me not

 

give my best respects to all inquiring friends

 

except apart for your self ruth Whitman

G J Whiteman /

                                                                                               

this May the 9^th

I forgot to rite about Normans folkes I am glad that louisa will rite to you and if she wants that likeness of normans get it taken from the one that you have their and send it to her When you rite to me again pleas rite and let me no wheir to direct to heir and then I will try and rite to her

G J Whiteman

 

To Mrs ruth S Whiteman

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