Camp Seminary VA March 18^th/62

 

Deare Brother & Sister

                                    I received your ever welcom letter of the 12^th day befor yesterday and was pleased to her from you, and as I have a fiew moments lesure I embrace the presant opportunitey of answering it without delay I am quite well at presant and hope thoes fiew lines may finde you all engoying the same state of health

 

I have got some of the lazeyness worked off buy this time I have bin out couting for the laste eight days and returned Satturday morning at two oclock. we marched sixteen miles from friday dark till two in Satturday morning and I was about tired enup to sleep without rocking I tell you we waire the firste Regement in fairfax and the firste in sentervill and the 3^d was the firste in Manases we have boath thoes places at presant and the beautey of it is we tuck boat of thoes strong holdes without having an occasion to fire a single gun they are very strongley fortified but they had to leave or they woulde have bin surrounded in a short time / we had but one littel crimish to get ther and that was beyant Berks Station there was some two hundred infantrey learking about ther and sixteen of our Cavelry charged on them wonding severel and tuck thirteen prisners and one Lieutenant that was the laste we saw of them till we got into Manases we captured quite a number of prisners and counterbandes they lef in a hurey and panic stricken setting fire to there stoves that they had not time to tak with them.

 

We are now laying at our olde camp wating for steamers to tak us down the river I do not know were we are destined for nor how soon we will be off, but we have every thing readey to go a boarde as soon as the steamers gets hear. we have very plesant weather hear at presant and I hope it will remain so now untill we get the rebels wiped so they know it we have them wiped to death now but they are such cursed fools that they doant know it it is reported hear to day that Island No 10 is in our posesion but weather it is so or not I am not able to say.

 

I do not think I shall be able to get / up to your mooving this time we have pritey plentey of that to do at presant our selves. Rachel you nead not send me that likeness now as we are mooving about all the time and I have as much to carrey as I can well get along with, and I cant tell you weare to sende it to at presant but write and directe as eusal untill you hear from me again. I havent heard from John for some time he got his back up some time a goe about something, and adesed me in a very disrespectful maner, and tolde I coulde do as I pleased about writing to him, for if I did not write he woulde save the price of the postage So I gave him my opinion of him and tolde him to euse his own plesure about writing as did not wish to corisponde with any one that I had to quarle with. I do not know were to directe to William for I do not know the letter of his company or the comanding officer I know that he is in the ninth N.J and that he was under Burnside at Roanoak Island I havent heard any thing about him cince. I saw Thomps day befor yesterday he was over at our place with his team and staide all night he is well at presant I think the war will come to a close befor long I doant see how they can / holde out much longer with there armey demoralised as it muste in so maney retreats and defeats as they have had for some time back.

 

I muste bring this to a close as I have but littel time to spare and I writen this in a great hurey So I hope you will excuse all bad spelling and writing and also mistakes and I will trie to do better with the next

 

So I must close with my best respects to you all nothing mor but Remain as ever your affectionate Brother

                                                                                                D^nl R Forgus

 

                                                                                                To

                                                                                    Thomas & Rachel Warman

P S write Soon

if not sooner

 

                        P. S. Island No 10 is ours I understand

                        it has bin confurmed cince I comenced

                        writing

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