En Route for

Richmond V^a June the 7^th

 

Friend Harry

                                    I take the present opportunity of addressing a few short lines to you to inform you that i am in good health and i hope that these few lines may find you enjoying the same good good health. I received your welcom letter on the third i was glad to find you all right as your letter found me in good health. I suppose you have herd of the death of our beloved Col. He fell while nobly leading us against the enimys works the Battle came of on the third this makes the third heavy engagement we have been in since our reinlisting We are skermishing pretty near all the time We / allways make the Johneys hunt dirt. We also lost our Lieut Isaac Fizone and a good boy he was. But such is the fate of war. The Boys are all in good health. at the time Ike fell that left me in Comand of the Company but now Dave Long has Comand. he is a sergent a head of me and of course it is his place to Comand the Company. The Regiment is pretty well thined out as we have lost pretty heavaly since we came out. Harry i wrote home on the 4^th and i think i dated my letter the 4^th of May i am pretty shure i did Jest let them know that it was a mistake. Hellow (one have a letter)...Well there i came near not getting this letter done as the Johns made a small attack on our right The skermishers is pitching in a little now. We / expected the Johns to make an attack on us yesterday but they did not and i guess maby they will try there hand to day. We are intrenched here. We allways intrench our selves as we go. it is best you know to be on the safe side. i hope that they have received my letters at home as I hate the worst kind to hear tell of letters being misscarried. Major Baldin is now in Command of the Regiment We are pretty well thined out of officers we have no officers to our Company at all

 

Harry I think I had better bring this letter to a close what do you think. The Rebels made an attack on our forces on the night of the 5^th but was hansomly repulsed with great slaughter. They made a charge on one of our Batteries, hellow they are at it again on the right / the Rebels is hollowing Take Demons I guess they will try us next

 

Well as I said before they made a charge on our Batteries and just got mowed down. Harry I must stop as the fireing is getting heavy on both sides give my love to all our family and all enquiring friends

 

Write soon I Remain

As ever your friend

            William Dignan

                        to

            Harry Belcher

 

            Excuse the Directions on

            the letter as I am in

            a Big hury

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