Near Peatersburg Va
July 5th 1864
Ever Dear Mother
I have a few moments of leasure time this morning and they cannot be spent in a more pleasant way to me than in pening you a few lines hopeing as I do from the bottom of my heart that they may find you all as well as they leave me.
we still lay where we have for the last Faught height south of Peatersburg about 2 1/2 miles distant and west of the weldon Railroad and about 2 miles distant we are about 12 hundred yards from the Enemy’s works we can see them/as plain as can be there was Eight of their handkerchief like flags flying yesterday over their brestworks that we cold see from here. it looks bad to see two kinds of flags flying in one nation on the 4 of July (or any other day) but I am in hopes and have confidence to believe by the next 4. there will be but one. God knows that is my Prayer and I for one shall do all I can toards planting the Stars and Stripes through the several states of the so termed Southern Confedrecy. We have a a very strong posision we have very strong Earth works and pointed sticks drove in the ground about 4 rods in front of them the pointed ends leaning toards the enemy it is called a stockade and then we have a wire strung out about half as high as my knees/
see if mr Jonie comes down they may get triped up and then there is any quantity of artilery that can play on them. they put a few shells in the city every day there is fireing going on every day between our arty and some picket shooting on our right but they do not fire in front of us.
we had a very good time here yesterday. we had quite a veriaty of luxeries I will name them over they wer found by the sanitary Com—viz (can) rost beef, Turkey Tomato Milk and Dried apple Onion and cucumber pickles & green cabbage and the Lieut (Sanborn) bought some lemonds for us. then we went to an old ice house on a plantation/near by and got some Ice and then we wer all ready for a good time.
we had a sergt wounded since I wrote home the last one we had in the Co. he was wounded once before since this campaign opened went to the hospitel stoped a few days and came back the furst time he was wounded in the back part of the head slightly 5 of May the last time 1st of July through the calf of the leg between the bones a very sevier wound I am now acting Ordley Sergt of the Co.
Has Poor Olney arrived home yet or have you hurd from him I am very ancious to hear from him how he must suffer but he is not the olny one there are many poor fellows lying suffering and it is those olny that has had the misfortune of sad experrance that knows how much the poor fellows suffer there is a fellow about two miles on our right [paper fold] he belongs to the 1st maine lays wounded in front of their lines and he is so ny the enemy that they cannot go to him olny in the night the gray backs will not take him off and will not let our boys they cold do it in the night but the poor fellow is wounded so bad when they toutch him he can not help yelling right out and then the Jonies will pore a volly right into the party that is after him. he has layed there several days they carry him water and vituals in the night but I think if it was one of our 6 Regs we cold get him away.
[margin] Mother I shall have to send this without a stamp for I have none and cannot get any if you cold send me a few I wold be greatly obliged I wold send you the money to get them but have none did you receive 5 dollars in a letter from me that I got for a pony I sold
I Remain With Much Love
Your Obt Son AE Titus
write soon