Camp of 6^th Md Reg^t Vols

2^d Brigade 3^d Div 3^d A.C.

near Warrenton Junction Virginia

August 6^th 1863

           

Dear Annie

         I take my pen in hand for the purpose of pening a few lines to you in answer to yours of the 12^th which came to hand on the 30^th and I was very glad to hear from you and your mother well Annie when I last wrote to you I was near washington since then we have been up nearly to Pa we were up at Williamsport after old Lee but he got away / and we marched back to Harpers Ferry and crossed over the river there on a pontoon bridge and marched down the Loudon Valey we had a prety heavy skirmish with part of Lees forces at Manassas Gap but they fell back that night and the next day about noon we marched back to Piedmont Station and from there to Warrenton where we stoped a few days and on the 1^st of Aug^t we marched some 8 or 10 miles to this place whear our division is doing pickett duty along a branch of the rappahannock river Hiram was taken sick with Typhoid Fever on the march and was sent from Warrenton / on the 29^th to Washington he had not been right well since we left Washington and it went very hard with him marching but he marched on till we got to Upperville Va when he could stand it no longer we got him in an ambulance and he was hauled about for several days before we could get him to an hospital I have not herd any thing from him since he left but I supose he is at some hospital whear he will get good attendance before this it is only about 20 miles to Washington from here and he went in the cars I got a letter you sent him but he had left the day before I supose you will / hear from him before long or if he writes to me soon I will let you know whear he is I have been unwell myself for about a month and have been prety bad sick for the last week but I feel some better to day I have been takeing medicine for two or three days past and I guess I will be all right again in a short time it is a prety hard place here for one to be sick espeacialy when we are on a march for it hard marching for those that are well this hot weather the weather has been very hot here for some time back but we have had a thunder shower nearly every evening since we came here I got a letter from home yesterday dated 2^d and they were all well at home and I got a letter from home the day I got yours and father / said that William had went up to Lewistown after Martha Jane but she would not come away with him she told him that her mother had made her promise on her death bed that she would never come to Maryland to live so if she is so obstinate as not to leave the place when she had a chance she will have to put up with the treatment which I cant think was as bad as what she said or I think she would have left it I have not herd anything from William himself since I wrote to you before I do not know why it is he dont write / they all say that they cant tell whear to direct to but that a very poor excuse for they all know the name of my Reg^t and company and they can write at any time and direct by way of Washington D.C. and I will always be certain to get them some time and while we are in the Army of the Potomac it is the shortest mail rout they can come Wes never thinks of writeing to me any more the last letter I got from home said that he had wrote one to me some time ago but I never got it and he never has any thing to say more than that he is well and they are all / well at home and generaly winds up without giving you as much information about the affairs of the neighbourhood as you might get out of the year befores Almanack. tell your mother to excuse me for not writeing to her to day as I have writen you about all the news that I know of I would have written to you sooner but I could not get any paper or envelopes till to day while we were at Berryville we had pleanty of everything in that line but the Rebs broke that up with us we lost our knapsacks and everything we had but what we had on our backs and we have been marching / about ever since and have not had any chance of getting any since there is some few around here that has paper for five cts a sheet and envelopes can hardly be got at all but I supose if we stay here any time there will be some Sutlers around with goods I must now close my short letter by giving my love to all the family tell Sarah and Lydia to write give my respects to Mrs Webb hopeing this may find you all enjoying good health I remain as ever yours most afectionately George Hamilton

                                                                                               

to Annie

 

Direct same as before via Washington DC

and excuse bad writeing

SOURCES