Camp Wade

                                                                                                            Near Alexandria

                                                                                                            July 8 1862

 

dear friend William

                                    I thought I would scratch a few lines to you though I am ashamed of my self for having not written before I am well at present and I hope these few imperfect lines may find you the same we have had a pretty hard time of it I can tell you for I was in the whole of it except the last battle when I was cattle guard & darnd lucky for my skin to for probably I shouldent of got off with it if I had / been I was in the battle of winchester whare the balls flew fast enough for me at least they come about as thick a bees would be if you would get into a swarm when they was a flying over but the battle of port republic was a great deal harder one we had been marching 2 months right along every day & the boys ware pretty well tired out as any one would naturaly suppose they would be & they wer drawn up in battle line befo only 2 brigades before over 30 thousand with 2 thousand cavalry & 100 pices of artilery but they fought them about 6 hours when they had to retreat our reg / was in the rear on the retreat & they got all cut to pices by the secesh cavalry a good many of them had to run to the mountains the old colonel with them our company was all cut up 4 killed that we knew of & 7 wounded & we dont know how many more for thare is 13 mising the captain & orderly with them thare is aint but about 15 left lieutenant stewart will be captain & martin eyder will be second lt if he comes back probably I heard that a good many of the boys was enlisting in the three months service but I would advise you to stay at home you will miss it if you dont / we have got now wha I hope we will have a little rest we are camped within a mile of alexandria about 8 miles from washington the potomack river runs between here & thare it is about a mile wide here it is as good a place to swim in as I ever saw we got new guns yesterday we have all got enfield rifles such as A and B had in camp gid but I must bring my gabbing to a close for I guess it aint very edifying write soon give my respects to Ed & dewick & the rest of the family & tell them to write and I will answer no more at present from your friend & well wisher E Miller    direct to

Edgar E Miller  Co C. 29 regt

OVI 3 brigade shields

division via

washington city

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