Camp Near City Point

James River Va June 25^th 1864

           

Dear Parents

                                    Once more I will try to scribble a few lines to you to inform you that we are all well and I hope this will find you all the same. The weather is dreadful warm here nowadays It seems as if we would almost roast in the middle of the day and at noon the sun appears to be exactly straight over our heads and it makes us sweat like a butcher even when sitting in the shade. It would just about kill us off if we had to march through the scorching rays of the sun now when the dust is about six inches deep 

 

We have lain here in this camp just a week to day and have had very nice times and will probably stay here untill the Army makes another move which may be before night or may not be in two weeks. I heard from a reliable gentleman (as the papers say) that the city of Petersburg was on fire yesterday and was nearly half consumed There has been heavy cannonading kept up ever since yesterday noon and the burning of Petersburg must have been one of the results I think

 

12 Oclock noon

                        I have just finished my dinner. In looking over my letter I see I made a mistake in the date it is the 26^th instead of the 25^th

 

            I went and picked over a quart of blackberries this forenoon and almost roasted in the bargain It is just a month to day since we have any rain down here and the ground is dry and as hard as a brick. crops are very poor Oats are nearly ripe and make excellent fodder for the beeves and teams corn is all wilting up and looks sickly indeed There has been an immense sight of it planted down here this season. Nearly every planter planted from 40 to 100 acres of it but it is little benefit they will receive from it for it is nearly all destroyed now Most of the people have to depend on Uncle Sam for their provision for the soldiers have stripped them of nearly every thing / they had previous to our arrival. The men folks have mostly skedaddled or else they are in the rebel Army I dont know which. The civillians of Petersburg fought like veterans when the city was first attacked according to rebel accounts

 

Well I can think of nothing more to write about this time The Caroline Boys are all well except Tip Snow He is troubled with a gathering in one of his ears

 

            Please excuse this poor writing for my pen and paper are both very poor. No more at present. This from your son

                                                           

Charles. W

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