Acquia Creek, Va. Sept 4th 1862
Dear Sister, and Brother,
Yours of the 26th I have just rec'd, and thought that I would scratch off a few lines in answer. the reason I did not get your letter sooner, was because we were not here when the mail came. last Sunday we were ordered to get ready to march, with one days rations in our haversacks. there was sixty men of our Co. and about 40 of Co K. Well, we got ready and marched to the cars and got on and went out about ten miles to guard a bridge over a creek. there was two Companys of our regt there. we marched in between their tents, stacked our arms, and lay down on the ground. Well the next morning we left there and went out in the country about a mile to the main road, where there were two pieces of artillery and some cavalry. we stacked our arms again, and laid around there until about ten oclock that night, when we were ordered to march down to camp where the other part of our regt were. there you see we had been out one day and a half with only one days rations, but there was plenty of corn, and some chickens runing around, and there was apples and peaches and pears. you know we took what we wanted to eat where ever we could find it. Well, when we got down to camp that night, we went into Co Gs tents they were out on picket. Well, we laid around there two days / and yesterday Co G came in from Picket and that turned us out of doors. Well we staid around with the other Cos last night and this morning we all fell in (that is our Company) and marched to the Quarter masters, and shouldered axe and marched out in the country about a mile and a half and went to falling timber across the road. there was a train of cars standing there, and all the baggage was loaded on so we put on our traps and got onto the cars and came down home once more, and you better believe that we were glad to get back home once more after laying round four days away from home and doing nothing.
M. D. Wilson has gone to the Hospital either to Washington or Alexandria, I dont know which. he went away while we were gone. there were two others went from our Company. I expect that we will leave here before long. Captain Hill is all right again and I am the same, Orderly Sergt. the Col has had so much to do lately that he has not had time to examine us for the purpose of making a lieutenant out of one of us.
I got another letter from Cousin Mary to day. they are all well. I have not heard from Daniel since I wrote before, nor dont expect to, for they cant send any letters north from where they are now. / And as for them letters of Lib Millers with my name signed to them, all that I have wrote to her are wrote as well as this is wrote if not better, and as for the spelling you know how I spell when I write to you. when you see a word that aint spelled right just let me know it and I will learn to spell. I have not wrote her a letter in the last two months, so if you will ask lib to let you see one of them, you can tell whether I wrote them or not. she did not answer my last letter. I heard that she was very sick. Some day when I get time I will write a letter to Aunt Achsah and Uncle Avery. I am four of five letters behind hand now. You need not think that I am out of letter paper because I write on this, but you see this is some that one of the boys captured and it lay here on the table so I thought that I could write a few lines on this just as well as though it was a large sheet. well it is most supper time and I must close. please write soon. direct as before. the folks are all well in South Creek. my respects to all, so good by.
from your brother Wm Chase.
to G. W. & M. Kennedy.