Yorktown Va. July 11^th

 

                                                                                                                        Arrived here last night. I wrote you Tuesday night I was then on Guard & it was about 12 oclock & pleasant but about 2 it commenced raining & I never saw it rain harder I turned in in the morning & slept about an hour & a half. You may judge I was not in very good condition for three days of the worst marching that man ever saw Our Reg. being being Provost Guard we had to march in the rear of every thing We started in the morning & in about an hour it commenced to rain & we were soon wet through as was all our/things which we had to carry After we had been about a mile on the march the road began to be strewed with Blankets Rucksacks & clothing thrown away by the soldiers. The roads soon became very muddy & as it lay the most of the day through swamps it was very bad. I never saw nor heard of such roads before The teamsters soon began to lighten their loads by unloading stuff & burning it & finaly they left their wagons broken down in every swamp. About noon we came to a wagon loaded with the mens Knapsacks. The Knapsacks had been “gritted” but I secured a good I changed my things from the valise which I had carried them in since I have come from home./We marched till about half past nine & bivouaced for the night 2 miles beyond New Kent Court House. After dark I came near getting lost from the Regt. being some distance in the rear bringing up the prisoners some thirty in number That day we made only 13 miles & were wet through & covered with mud from head to foot We lay that night with our clothes wet started early the next morning & marched to within 3 miles of Williamsburg My feet by this time were so swollen & sore that it was painfull to bear my weight upon them The next morning they remained sore & I concluded to march ahead of the Regt. so as to take my own gait/I soon reached the ancient city of Williamsburg I found it much like all other southern cities of the present time without business & deserted by its inhabitants Here I fell in with John and he & me kept on together we reached this place about 3 oclock having come 18 miles. I was entirely beat out & so foot sore that I could hardly step I proposed to John that as we should have plenty of time before the Regt. came in the we should have our pictures taken just as we were. Enclosed we I send mine it does not look much as I did it looks to well I had my Gun slung on my shoulder it looks as if I was holding it out in my hands but I was resting my hands upon it John’s picture looks more rough than mine. We got something to eat got shaved & was ready for the Regt. as it came in about dark we came out & encamped on the same ground we occupied before/

 

I feel nicely rested to day I have washed my clothes & been into the salt water bathing. I am badly broken out with heat but feel very well. We are to march again tommorrow morning at 3 oclock We are to go to Fortress Monroe in two days the distance is 25 miles. From there we are going back to Portsmouth to stay I have but just heard where we were going it has been rumored that we were to go to Pennsylvania to join the army of the Potomac But now we know better Your precios letter of the 5^th I recd this morning I cant tell you how happy I was to hear from you.

 

                                    I must close while my letter is about half finished I will write the rest next time My love to mother I will write more particularly to my Darling next time there is not much sweetness in this all story telling

                        Good bye Darling                                           Court

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