Headquarters Banks Reg't., 3 D         

Camp        Co. B

Oct 26 1861

 

Dear Mother & Friends & all

                    I now once more take this present opportunity of embracing these few lines to you to let you know that I am enjoying good health, and hoping these few lines will find you enjoying the same blessing; Thank God for without these blessing we are miserable creatures. /

 

Dear Sister & Mother

               I received the letter which you wrote dated the 16^th on the 25^th day of Octo and was very much pleased to hear from you and also that you were all enjoying good health at present. If almost began to think that you had forgotton me that you did not write sooner so I wrote one to Grandpap also and since that I received one from you but not from Grandpap yet I am looking almost every day for one from him. Well I will tell you a little about thing well we have had quite a mooving time of it quite lately we left our old camp Lincoln weak before last and marched for the potomac and got to it and crossed it and got into the / reble country and the regiments that got over two days ahead of us got into a little muss and several of our boys not in our regiment got killed and several of them badly wounded, but we went over into old verginia and that night was drawn up into a line of battle and staid that way for some time ready any moment to pich into the rebles but we had two big guns over there and we fired them and scared the boys off for that night and so we retired to our bunkes out in the rain the next day appeared beautiful we was eager for a fight that is our division but the day pased around without any and night came and some time in the night we was arroused out expecting for a fight but it turned out a retreet that the rebles was comming on us with a much larger / force than we had and we was landed on this side again and marched back and now I understand we are to cross chane bridge I hope we do for we can meat the other forses, and go right into the rebles and give them fitz

 

I feel as eager for a fight as any man ever felt but I do not know how I will be when we go on the field but I dont think my legs is as cowardly as to run away with me

 

I must close for we are about marching sling our napsack and away we go

 

                        I now send my love to you all and all inquiring friends

 

write soon and you will oblige

                                                                       

Your Son Francis R Shunk

 

[sentence stricken]

 

P.S. Direct Francis R Shunk 30 Reg Pen Volunteer

Co B In care of Colo J R Haslett Gen Banks

Division Maryland Via Washington

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