White House Landing V^a

June 28^th /63

 

Dear Ari.

                        I received your letter last night and will try to answer it if I have time. we are under marching orders at a moments notice. we left Yorktown last Friday morning and were the first infantry troops that landed here. Spears Cavelry came up the day before and found the rebels here in a small force thay had to land dubble quick and after them. thay returned last night and what do you think thay brought back with them. well I will tell you thay brought back 115 prisoners and General Fitzhugh Lee and captured something like 80 waggons. thay brought in 35 of them and burnt the rest. 

 

I have just been up to the Docs to get some medison for one of the boys. Docter John Sulivan says that thay took more then I have stated. well you will see it in the newspaper correct I suppose. you recollect that Lee was wounded some time ago in one of the fights he had with Hookers army. he has not got well yet. when thay took him he was in a cairage with two horses bound for Richmond. he said it was not fair to take him so but I think differantly of it now I cant tell any thing about how many troops there is here now thay are as far as the eye can reach all around and are still coming. it was reported last night that the 7^th and 3^rd N.H. Regt was here but I have not / found out yet. we are to march on towards Richmond but how far we shall get I cant say. thay say that our Brigade is to be a researve and I guess it is so for we have got our knapsacks with us and the rest have left theirs behind so dont worry about me. I will wright every chance that I can get untill this thing is over you must write encourageing letters to the soldier for it gives him more courage then any thing else. you said you had rether I would be out here then to be at home and be drafted I told the boys of it and thay did huray bully for her and wished all their wives were like her.

 

Oh. Ari. when the 148 / N.Y. Regt was marching up here day befor yesterday one of them called at a house to get a drink of water and the woman handed him a pail of swill and said that was good enough for a Yankey to drink he took it and throwed it through the door and she drawed a pistol and shot him dead. thay took her and when thay buryed him thay hung her by the neck untill she was dead. well I must close if you can read this you can do well.

 

give my love to Elmer and tell him that papas will is good enough to send him a presant but it is imposable to at presant. you buy him something for me will you. give my love to all of the rest of the folks. tell your Father that every thing looks well for us in this quarter as yet. write as soon as you get this.

           

good day                    

S. B. Tarlton

 

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I received a letter from Amanda last night./good day)

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