Winchester Va

March the 18^th 1863

 

My Dear, beloved Neice

                                                I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines to inform you that I am enjoying good health at presant and hope these few lines may find you all in the enjoyment of the same good blessing I must now give you a short account of our march to this place on Saturday the 14^th about three oclock in the afternoon we were ordered on a forced march to Winchester we got ready as quick as possible and as we were going on a forced march we did not take anything with us but one days rations and our blanketts. I had been on the sick list for about a week and had been takeing medicine from the Doctor that day and was not in a very good condition for a march but I went along for I did not know but what we might have some fighting to do before we got back and I wanted to do my share of it we left our knapsacks and every thing behind there was about 30 of our company left behind there was a good many that were sick and not able to come and there was some out on pickett Our Regiment started about 4 Oclock and marched about 2½ miles out on the pike to await the Sixty Seventh Pennsylvania Regt which was to accompany us it did not come up with us till nearly ten Oclock they had the Senior Colonell and ought to have taken the lead of our Reg^t but they would / not take the lead that night and our men was a little angry about being detained by them so long that we thought we would give them a little marching to do to try what sort of material they were we marched very hard all night stopping only a few minutes at a time to rest as the night was very cold and we had to keep on the move for myself I was hardly able to walk part of the time and would have laid down along the road but we were in the enemies country and if I had I should have been captured by the Rebel guerillars as there was a body of them followed us all night and picked up two men out of the 67 Pa Reg^t but our men all kept together and we halted the next morning at Bunkers Hill about 7 Oclock and rested about 3 hours the Pensylvania boys took the lead when we started again they thought we had marched them a little to hard during the night and I supose they will remember the 6^th Maryland boys. after this we had about 12 miles to march after we left Bunker Hill I marched about two of them and had to get into one of the wagons and ride the rest of the road for I was very unwell but I am well enough now with the exception of a bad cold but I expect to be all right again in a short time we got to this place on the 15^th about three Oclock and it was storming prety hard there was some prety heavy thunder with hail and snow but we were very lucky in getting into good quarters. Our Company now occupies a building / which was formerly a store house and dweling upstairs Winchester is about 32 miles from Harpers Ferry by the nearest rout and I supose it must have been nearly 40 miles by the way we came I was all over the town yesterday it is about two thirds as large as Wilmington Del^a and is a prety nice place part of it has been destroyed by the the time of the Battle here the citizens are nearly all Rebels there was two Secesh Ladies walking down the street day before yesterday and there was a large union Flag hanging over the pavement and they got so insulted at it that they both jumped out into the street in the slush and mud nearly a foot deep so you may judge for your self what kind of people we have to contend with here for any one to become insulted at that Flag which has so triumphantly waved over our peacefull and happy country for so long a period I consider that there is nothing to mean or to wicked for them to accomplish had they the power to do so Our Reg^t is doing pickett duty here and I expect to be on pickett tomorrow as it comes my turn Hiram we left at the Ferry as he was not able to stand a long march we do not know how long we will stay here but if we dont go back there again I supose they will all be brought on to us whearever we may be at we left our knapsacks and most of our cloths behind us and I supose they will be lost if we do not get back it was reported when we came that there was a large force of the enemy advancing on Strausburg but Major Gen^l / Milroy has made a reconnoisance through the Valley and reports no enemy near but some Rebel Cavalry I must now bring my letter to a close or I will tire your patience reading it Annie I wrote you a letter some time ago and sent you my likeness in it but I do not know wheather you received it or not as I have not received any letter from you since I must here return you my thanks for the nice box of good things you sent Hiram and me for I ate some of the cakes you sent on the march here I think it was most to much trouble and expense for you to send us such a large presant as you did I hope I may be able some day to repay you all for your kindness I wish that this war was over so that we could meet again and live in the peaceful avocations of life once more but I want to see our country united as it once was and it must be so before we can have permanent peace and I hope God may spare my health that I may be able to fight untill this Rebelion is crushed and that the Stars and Stripes shall again wave over every State in the union and when Rebels will be ashamed to confess thier traitorism I must now close this comes with my love to you give my love to all the family and tell them all to write as often as they can I add no more at presant but remain as ever your very affectionate Uncle George Hamilton

                       

Annie M Monks

 

Direct to George W. Hamilton 6^th Reg^t Md Vols

Company G. Winchester Virginia or Elswhear Stationed

and write Soon Farewell

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