Camp near Alexandir August 31 1862

 

My dear nan it is with mutch pleasur that I set down to write you a fiew lines to let you no that I am well & I hope that you are the same I receivd to letters from you last nite & I was to hear from you I would like to see you & hav a talk with you I could talk with you a half a day I will tell you of some of our last trips we was in camp they called it Camp Casey it was seven miles from washington south west direction & we was eatting our supper &  the word come for us to martch in twenty five minents & we had to leav supper & pack up our things & martch & it was sundown when we started out on our trip & we went seven miles in two hours & the road very ruff & it was darke as pitch & we went through a swamp about one half mile in water up to the neas & half of the time we went on double quick & we hav to cary sixty / pounes & that makes the boys fag their is five thousan of us that gows to gather & we make quite a string their was fifty that giv out in that tramp & we stoped their to dayes & then we had to start & we went five miles to stop Jackson we are in six miles from him & their is nothing but a wroaring of the canon all day & nite & to day I can hear the gones plain now we are garding three fourts if he comes we will giv him a warm reception for their is forty thousan of us in this camp & their is some of the boys crying I fear that wont do dont you say so it dont hav the least impression for I made up my mind before I went & that was to see some hard fiting It may bee that the half of us may bee shot before you get this but we will poot our trust in God for he will protect us in our of danger we traveled last nite & we laig down on the ground with no supper or tents & it rained all nite & it has been raining to day all of  the time & we did not / get any thing to eat for thirty six hours & we had raw fat poark to eat & we was glad when we got it we will hav to sleepe out to night for our tents hante come to us we soldiers hav to indor some hard times & we hav some good joyful times the fireing has seasced now & the victry is ours aint that good nooes I hav been standing on gard today & I will hav to stand all nite & it is raining very hard but it must be done I was on gard to day a their was a negro was going to pass me a I told him to stop a he said that he would not but I stoped him I think I would not let him past & he went back & told the Colonel & he told me to let him past but I told him that their would no negro cross my beete I say keepe them back what do you say I must stop for the time is up for me to go on gard after guard I had / a hard night it rained on us & it got very muddy & it so cold it is very warm in the day time & it gets very cold at night I cot a hard cold last nite it is hard work to work for uncle Sam but I can stand it as long as I can we hav got orders to martch this morning it is word from General mcceland I dont think that I spelt the Generals name wright but you dont cair do you they say that we are going down South from hear we started the last time that we packed up we was to go down to port royl their was a ship at anker ready for us they say that it is about three hundred miles from hear we will get a wrid on the potomac river did you ever wride on a ship nan I wish that I was out to your hous this morning to get a warm cup of tea I now that nan would get a good cup of tea for me would not you do it I got that brespin & that is the nicest picter that was ever taken or I think so I mean what I say nan I lov to take it with me evry place that I go & many is the times that I will look at it I would not take any amount of money for it the roasy is pretty & so are you if I am spared to get home I will go out & see you & we will take a ride out to the citty of Clevland & I will hav some thing to tell you about a solgier I would like to see you & hav a talk with you about days that is gon by but they come to my memry no matter whear ear I rome if I had of nowen that I was going to the armey

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