Camp at Alexandria June 26^th 1863

                       

Dear Sister

                  I take the present opportunity of writing these few lines hoping to find yous all in good health as this leaves me in at present i wrote a letter to you about a month ago and never got an answer i mentioned about sending some money by express but i never had a chance to send it there is some boys of our regiment that their horses gave out and i was a mong them we came here to Alexandria to obtain new horses and as soon as we get them we will be sent back to our Regiment it may be three or four days / and it may be a week before we go back i was in a good many fights since i wrote to you last and thank god i got safe through but now i belief the enemy is on the borders of Pensylvania but i think they wont be there long we are incamped along side of the Potomac river every thing looks splendid here besides where we left the Cavalry is doing all the fighting this summer with the exceptions of a few regiments of Infantry our Cavalry knows Virginia pretty well now for we have been near all through it and our regiment has done good service and never lost over 200 men in all actions our company has been very luckey we only lost five men killed since we came out but there has been a great many discharged on account of disability we have about three hundred & fifty men for duty in the regiment out of eleven hundred

 

            I have not much more to say at present

            I send my best respects to you and

            Ferdinand and the children 

 

let me know how is John getting along or is he with pat yet

 

tell Emmy i have her likeness yet she wont know herself when she sees it

 

i conclude by sending my best respects to Mary and Jane and to all enquiring friends

                       

No more at present from your Brother

Michael Conklin

 

Direct to

Co. A. 4^th Pa. Cavalry

Washington, D.C.

SOURCES