Summit

Cheat Mountain October 19^th 1861

Saturday

           

Dear Brother

I recieved your letter this afternoon & was hartily glad to hear from you as i had been expecting a letter for some time i had just returned from a scouting expedition we started yesterday eavening & marched until to day knoon which brought us back to our camp how manny miles we marched i could not say as our march lay over mountains through forrest across vallies fording rivers & other streams resting in all about two hours we came in sight of the enemies pickets about sunrise but but through some negligence on the Majors part in not following the guide thinking he knew best missed the right way which would have cut / them off nicely if we had not been to late & let our reserve alarm them to prepare & start for camp obliging us about one hundred to follow them about one hundred & sixty strong we had a considerable of a skermish killing four or five & how manny more i do not know. the boys say i killed one i took a rest & shot about two hundred pases & they sayed they saw a man lay where i shot soon after i would rather not have it so for it seems hard to destroy like yiet it must be done on an occasion like this the skirmish lasted some time the bullets flew past throwing the dirt sometimes as high as my head at other times whizzing through the air above our heads like hail stone this is the seckonet time i have been to help drive in the pickets before we captured one & this time we could have captured / the whole if the major had followed the guide there is a going to be a great battle here soon soon we are a preparing now there is about twenty thousand of them acording to reports I was verry much grivved to hear of Francis illness but was verry much relieved at the close to hear that he was a progressing i wish you had toled mee where to direct so i could write to him. Since i read that letter i have had a great desire to com home & see you all once more i think i shal if i live through this war my position is Corporal being a stranger i stood no chance i was kirst lieutenant first of the home guard which is now called into service i expect swoon to be sergent i have a good wil of the officers so i can do about / as i have a mind to As for health i have enjoyed verry good I enlisted the 10^th of sep & have been verry busy ever since I hope i shal not get sick here for the soldiers fair verry hard no conveniences but the hard ground or floor to lay on & not the best of doctor. we are preparing our winter quarters whether we shal ocupy them or not i cannot say we have the springfield rifle which we think a great deal of & the best generel in the army my wages is fifteen dollars a month

 

            I wish you would give me the name of that bed fellow of yours.

 

As to Mother i haidely know what to say more than than i would like to see her that she knead not be alarmed about my conduct & good behavior & remember that i think of home & to Father ask him to forgive my past conduct through life & concider me a diffrent person from what i have been /

 

[margins]

 

Give my love to all enquiring friends & except a good share for yourselves

 

From your affectionate brother & son

W^m H. Peck

 

You will have to excuse my not paying paying the postage because post stamp cannot be had here please excuse my writin as i wrote the most of it in the dark & on the back of a tin plate

SOURCES