Richmond Va              August the 1^st 1861

 

                                    Miss Mary Hodnett

Mary it is         Dear sister I imbrace the present Moment to answer your letter which I reported that         received yester day I was truly glad to hear from you all that you were all two of our           well this leaves me and the Boys well Mary I have a heap to rite if I could company         rite it I will commence about our trip from Decature here we left Decature got killed     last thursday at nine we got to augusta at half past 6 pm when we got there but it is      the took supper for 500 men we left at 8 we got 20 cars and two engines miss                       we went about 17 miles and one them came loos and rund bout 2 miles take                        and stoped the other pushed us on not knowing about it run against it and broke three or 4 cars but hurt no one at all we were in freight boxes went on to brantville from there to kingston from there to wilmington from there to weldon from there to petersburg from there to richmond we were 4 days and 3 nights coming while I/have been here I have seen heap day before yesterday I was at capt Norwoods company I saw lea & eugene lea was well eugene has cut his foot one of his toes will have to come off he wont bee fit for service in a month well mary I have been a bout some in town it is the largest place I ever saw I have seen some war boats here and steam boats all kinds of machines well Mary I believe that I will close if I dont know what would interest you most but if you I have seen general sotts plantation & where he lived nothing o. Mary they have between 8 and 12 hundred yankey prisoners here now I close nothing more at present only I remain your loveing Brother till Death                                  John W Hodnett

 

Post     we expect to go to minases to get armes I dont no when you and all must rite to me any thing you must excuse these lines an you must tell all the girls howdy for me                                    good by                       Tip will finish this

 

                                                                                                Aug the 1^st 1861

Dearist Couson it is with the greatest pleasure that I coud afford me to rite an anser to your kind and affectionate letter witch came to hand yesterday whitch I was glad to receive for we wasent looking for eny letter from home so soon as we ben hear only afew days we are will remain hear some two or three weeks that is if we wait for them today as they came [?] was about thirty thouson more troops that [?] and they are sum coming in [?] train so if you want to hear of the Yankeys runing just wait untill they see our smook and then they shall fly in evry drection for we are hear to fight for our independence and if our blod will purchase it we are ready at eny time to depart without them and the sooner the better for a soldiers life is not the best in world we are expected to [?]a hard life though we havent [?] cherfully we have all of our cooking to do and some there washing though they all [?]/

 

D Couson I havent nothing of interest to rite you at this time onely I have heard that their will be one of the Alabama Troops to be shot hear to day for shooting his captan and the [?] was one of the Boys from camp died on the train as we came up he was left in [?] va to be buread he lef a wife and five children Cuson you stated in your letter that my [s]weethart was well I wish you to give hur my compliments and tell hur that I woud so like to have [?] hur I have two other seetharts when we left Decatur one of them lives in Augusta and the other in Atkins South Car I told one of them that I woud call on hur on my return and I think that I shall as she is the pretiest girl that I ever seen or ever expect to see, that is if I am eny judge of beauty, so I will stop at that and tell you more about it when I see you. Now I must close I bid farewell for the present give my love to all of the family and enquiring friends if eny and except the same     Trully yours

rite as often as you can                                   H. H. Hodnett

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