Belle Plain Landing May 30^th 63

 

Dear Sister,

                                    Please excuse me for not writing to you before this late day. the reason that I have not written before is that I have had a very lame hand, so lame that it was impossible for me to write a word.

 

            I sprained my hand the day that we recrossed the river, after the Chancellorsville fight. we left our position about three oclock in the morning and marched towards the river. it was dark and rainy, so dark and so many troops on the march we could hardly pick our way along / we came to a fence and we commenced to scramble over it. there were some eight or ten on the length that I was on, our weight proved too much for the fence, and down we came all in a pile. I threw out my hand to save myself and caught hold of a rail, and at the same time that my hand struck the rail, a comrades gun struck my hand, and a pretty hard blow too. At all events so hard that I have not been able to write since.

 

            Our Regt. was not in any regular engagement across the river, but we acted as skirmishers. we were out one day & one night as skirmishers. had two men wounded and some eight or ten taken prisoners. there was only / 75 off us in the Regt. all told and we took one hundred and two persons. a pretty good days work, dont you think so?

 

            Our Reg^t at present is doing Provost duty here. it is a first-rate job and if they continue to land government stores here, we shall have a good job all summer.

 

We are encamped on a level plain close to the river in a cool and pleasent place with a good spring handy &c. and I wish that we could stay here untill our year is out. by the way we havent got but little over a year to serve. the time goes pretty fast and that year will soon be gone.

 

            I should be pleased to have my photograph taken / to send to Ellen, but it is impossible, as there is no place where they take photographs about here. if we stay here there may be a chance. if there is I will have some taken and send her one.

 

            I was over to Falmouth to see John Adams the other day. I had quite a plesant visit. he gave me his photograph and I will send it to you for fear that I shall loose it. Give my love to all and accept this from your

 

Ever Affect.

Brother

William.

 

P.S. write as soon as possible.

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