camp near Norwich Court house   32

Thursday, Apr. the 17^th, 62

 

Dear Mother I now sit down to let you know that I am still well and in fine spirits and so is O.B. I have seen him not 20 minutes ago so I know. ma I expect to soon meet the foe in his strongholds. yesterday we marched 18 miles and encamped and had the heavens for our covering but it is all in getting used to it Mother I am within 2 miles of the rebel batteries and [?] to be called into the field at any moment and it may be to death but I must hope for the best. Though death of overtakes me now I shall / die if die I do in a noble cause though I my may come out safe and sound I still shall have to run the varied chancies of war ma us soldiers are willing to do our duty though we know that some of us shall never return from the field of contest but still we are willing to hold the stars and stripes as a sacred trust and I presume that by the time that you get this the thing will be tested and we will know who is master of the fil field ma I begin to thin think that you have forgoten me as I have wrote to you 4 times and no have not heard an answer yet and I dont know as you have got the money that I sent you and I wrote to Leighty the other day so / I have got lots of letters due to me ma by reading my letter of over that I have not told you where we are agoing to have our gig it is at York Town it is but a short distance there from here and before you get this it will be ours that is if we are able to take it to day it as I was out a listining I could hear the contention of our advance and it came in one continious roar as of distant thunder only at spells it comes slacker than at other times I guess that you will get sick of hearing from me so much you must write to me every time that I do to you I have not had my pay yet if I had I should send you some / as it is I cannot but I will as soon as I can you must write soon but it is get ting late Mother as we was marching yesterday as we was as we found it as warm as it is in Allegany in July and the sweat pourd out of us like rain and I have wrote this in a hurry and that you can plainly see so you will overlok all mistakes and not have it critisized and it will be right so no more at present

 

                                                This from your Son

 

                                                            Willard M. Selden

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