In camp Near

In camp Near New town

November 15 1864

 

Dear Father & Mother

As I have a little time to night I will answer your most kind & welcome letter which I received last night It found me well and also the rest of the Jay boys except Dan Otis and I am sory to say he is a prisoner of war we had a brush with the rebs the 12^th of this month and our Colonil was killed and the Lutenant of our Company was wounded Mother you probly will see in the papers of Coloniel Hulls beeing / killed I was close by him and saw him fall from his horse

 

Mother I come very neer of going down to richmon to winter I come so neer that they told me to surrender but I could not stop just then the way I hapend to be so neer them was because I was ahead of the collume and we was in the rode with a wall on both sids and when Coloneil Hull was shot our men brok and run back and the rebs returned and followd up so that left me behind our men and next to the rebs and the road was / narrow so I could not get out very fast and the first I new they was right on me most I heard them say surrender you son of a bich but I socked the spers to my horse and got away all safe but I did not have to go far for our men made another charge on them and drove them back som two miles but some how or Dan was taken prisoner with a number of others Mother I am in the pioneers now and tent with Olvin we have a first rate time Each company has a man detailed for a pioneer so Olvin was detailed out of his company and he / interceded for me so I was detailed out of our company It is not so hard here for I dont have to stand picket nor do no guard duty but we have to fight the same as the rest but I dont care for that if they will keep their balls to home I dont care about having the balls come as neer as they did the other day one come so neer to my horses head that he shook it for a quite a spell I must close for Olvin wants to go to bed he says I must spoon to night for it is quite cold but we have got blankets enough Mother I drew a pare of shirts to day they are brown I give two of my shirts to Wallace

                                                           

From your Son Ira

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