| − | Left Grand Division camp near Falmouth, Virginia Jan. 10th/63<br /> Dear Parents<br /> With pleasure to me I take my<br />pen in hand to let you know that I am well and hope<br />these few lines will find you the same. I received<br />your letter dated on the 21st of last month and I assure<br />you I was glad to hear from you all. I allso received<br />the 2 papers you sent me through your kindness which<br />I thank you for. I have very little to tell you<br />of in the way of news. As our army is on a stand still.<br />The weather has been beauterfull since we recrosced the<br />river up to to day now it is raining and I think it is<br />the beginning of a big storme yet I hope not.<br />Johns signerture thear may be such a thing that his<br />wife can draw it if so I wish she would as Pa can youse<br />the money. If it can not be dun that way I would git<br />John to write on to you about it. That is if you hear<br />from him. It may be such a thing that John has been<br />ordered to Vicksburg. If so it will be some time before<br />you will be able to herr from him as every thing seames<br />to be very active in that quarter. I have heard of<br />the victory which General [?Rosecrants] has gained over<br />the rebels and I thank God for it. For it is just what<br />we wanted to chear us up a little for every thing looked<br />dark for our cause yet Ma that victory has caused<br />thousends of lives yet such is war and we can not help<br />it. Oh how I would like to be home out of this storm<br />setting around a nice pleasant fire and I hope I will<br />be before a great while for I am sick and tired of this<br />war. Yet I scorne to do a dishonest act.<br />I was apointed a Sergent in our company and I<br />will send to you my warent as quick as I can<br />The boys have every thing they could wish for<br />ownley tobacco which is very scarce. I wish you [??could]<br />send me some but it carstes to mutch to do so.<br />I was glad to receive that letter of Thomas and it<br />was read with pleasure by me. I wrote a letter to<br />Edmund the other day which I hope he received.<br />I have verry little more to say at present<br />ownly that I am well and in quite good spearets<br />and hope these fiew lines will find you the<br />same. Give my love to all the members of the<br />famerly all so to Pheabe and her children.<br />So now hopping you will excuse this short<br />note from me this time I will close by sending<br />my love to you.<br /> Yours with respect,<br /> Wm P. Allcot<br /><br />P.S.<br />Write as soon as you can and<br /> Oblige<br /> W. A<br />In Camp near Falmouth Virginia Jan 1863<br /> Dear Parents,<br />With pleasure to me I take my pen in hand to let<br />you know that I amwell at present and hope these<br />few lines will find you all in the enjoyment of the<br />same good health. I received your letter as also one from<br />Edmund, Anna Louisa, Henery, and Clarisa and I assure you<br />they were read with pleasure by me. To think allthough I<br />am far away from you all I am knot forgot by you<br />Dear Parents. I heardley know what to write ownley every<br />thing looks dark for our cause still I for one will never<br />give up as long as thear is a plank left of the Constitution<br />'to stand on. I do not blame the people of the North for<br />demanding a forward movement and finding fault with<br />the administration for they expect a great deal of them,<br />but I do blame for becoming divided and let party<br />fealings govern them instid of patreatism led on by frinds<br />in youman shape. Well may it be said that these is the<br />times to try men ho is true to thear country for we are ser-<br />rounded by traters on all sides. Even our generals ho we<br />have put confidents in has been found guilty of treasun.<br />Others has let persernel fealings govern them instid of patreartism<br />and it seames to me that the suner we git read of sutch men<br />the better. Oday it is raining quite hard, but as we are<br />in camp and the weather is quite mild we are all write.<br />We had quite an adventure the other day and we all expected<br />to have another fight with those that is trying to brake<br />up our Goverment, but we were [?dead] to diserpointment<br />for we had heardley left camp when it comments to rain.<br />It rained for 24 hours witch left the roads in such a state<br />as it was allmoste an inposibility to travill over. I saw no<br />less than 18 horses on one [casehorn] and it was as mutch<br />as they wanted to do to draw it. Out of one divisun amunition<br />train thear was no less than 80 mules droped dead. Our corp<br />was out in that pelting cold rain all the time with<br />heardley eney thing to eat. Still I did not hear a<br />murmer of discontent and if eney one should be discouraged<br />it is the soldier ho when wet and hungrey has not eaven<br />a house to go in. I see by the lass news Franklin has<br />been relieved from his command allso Burnside & Sum-<br />ner. And Fighting Joe Hooker takes command of the<br />Armey of the Potomac. All I hope is he will do some<br />thing to fetch this war to an end. We have the men ho<br />is willing to fight and anxious to do so if they will<br />ownley be led on by a good man. General McClellan<br />had never ought to have been removed from this armey<br />for we all had confidence in him and if eney one could win<br />with the armey it was him. In fine weather we have 4 drills.<br />We have to turn out of our tents at day light and forme a<br />Regimentil line whitch is not verry pleasant as the mor-<br />nings is quite cold. We expect to git paid off in a little<br />while and I hope so for the men wants thear money.<br />I received a letter from Mother Jane the other day<br />she rights that all the folkes is all well she sayes<br />She was to visit Aunt Charlits. They are all well.<br />Give my love to Edmund. Tell him I thank him<br />for the stampes he sent me. Tell Henery & Clarra I<br />thank them for writiiing to me and the first oppitunity<br />I git I will write to them. Allso give my love and best<br />wishes to Ann Louisa. Tell her I will write as soon as I<br />can to her. I am glad that you have heard from John<br />for I thought some thing had happened to him. I am<br />allso glad that Thomas has received your letters for<br />I know what it is to not hear from home.<br />I have verry little more to say this time ownley I am<br />quite well off for clothing and I have ernuf to eat. We do<br />not suffer in camp. It is on a march the soldier suffers.<br />Our company is under 1st lieutenent Davis. Our Capt.<br />Has been apointed Major in some other regiment.<br />Our present Brigadear General mane is Wheating. I suppose<br />by the time the weather alowes us to move we will have<br />some other man over us as we have had no less than 4 since<br />we have been in the survise. We go on pickit 3 days out<br />of 9. We can see the rebels and talk to them and exchange<br />papers with them, but enstid if giving us a hole paper<br />they cut all the news out of them.<br />Thear is nothing but a small stream of water that devids<br />our pickits from thears and they say if you will not<br />fire at me I will not fire at you.<br />Give my love to Pa. Tell him I am sorry to see things<br />they way thear are and I hope and pray after we git out<br />of this scrape we will be a wiser and a better people.<br />I will now fetch these few lines to a close so hopping<br />this will find you well and hopping to see you soon.<br />I will close by sending love to you all.<br /> Yet I remain your son<br /> William Allcot<br />To my Mother<br />C. Allcot<br /><br />Write soon as you can<br />In Camp near Falmouth Va. April 1st 1863<br /> Dear Brother Edmund,<br /><br />With pleasure to me I take my pen in hand to answer<br />your kind letter of the 22nd of last month. I am glad to<br />hear that you are agetting over your sickness and hope<br />before this reaches you you will be inturley well.<br />I am glad to tell you that I am in the enjoyment<br />of quite good health at present. The weather has been<br />very bad out here most of all lass month the day before<br />yesterday I commenced to snow & rain together and it<br />lasted most all night making the roads in a miserable<br />condishing. Our Colonal has been reliesed from under<br />arrest and is now acting Brigadear. He was under arrest<br />for more than 3 month. We are all glad that he is<br />released for the boys likes him as they know what<br />he is and have the fullest confidence in him as a leader.<br />We are agetting along first strate and what little I<br />have sean of the armey they all feal in good spearits<br />and are ready to meet the enemys of our common country<br />as quick as we git orders to do so. We expect to git<br />payed off in a little while as the government owes<br />us five months pay. They are gitting very strick in our<br />Brigade now we have to drill 3 times a day and<br />answer 5 roll calls a day. I suppose the Brigadear<br />wants to make regulus out of us. Well all I have got<br />to say we will halfter a bay orders.<br />Give my love to Ma & Pa, Ann Louisa & her husband,<br />Henry and Clarra not forgetting to reseive a due share<br />your self. I am glad that Thomas writes to you<br />so often. I am glad to hear that he is well and in<br />a little while he will be home once more if nothing<br />happens to him. It is strange that John does not<br />write, but you must bear in mind that he is on<br />the move and a man has not the chance to do so<br />when so situated. I hope and pray nothing has happened<br />to him for in that case God ownly knowes what<br />is to become of his wife and little ones ho is depending<br />on him for serport. As for me if God should so order<br />it that I should be caried away I am like a blited tree in a<br />desert there is nothing that lives under my shelter<br />and I thank God for it. So let come what will I<br />am ready to meat it and if I fall I fall with the<br />proud counsince of having done my deauty to my<br />country & my God. I do not dispear of the Union<br />nor will I as long as thear is a plank of the old<br />consitiution left to stand on. All we want for<br />those to do that told us to go to the war is to take<br />care of the home treaters (and I consider all treaters<br />that is trying to imbarress the government by speaches<br />againtes the government) and we will do the best we<br />can with the Rebels that is pited againtes us in the<br />field. Edmund, as I feal my heart & soul is in this<br />cause for I believe it is the deauty of every man<br />to give what little he is able in support of the best<br />government that was ever givn to man. It is all very<br />well for men to cry peace when thear is no peace. These men<br />if the truth wer told is in thear hearts rebels to this government<br />and they have done more to imbaress the government<br />than the rebels that is in armes in my estermation.<br />I was up to the 10th Regiment the other day. This is the<br />regiment Frank Allen belongs to. They seam in high<br />glee because they are agoing home the latter part of<br />this month. Thear is no news of importence out hear<br />at present. As the weather is bad one day nice the<br />next eather raining or snowing the Officers has got<br />to carry thear tents on thear backs the same as the<br />high privates. This, in my estermation, is a verry good<br />thing. They will not march the men quite so<br />hard on a long march. The officers did not care before<br />as they had nothing to carry, but it was different<br />with us as we have got 40 rounds of cartridges and<br />a heavey knapsack to carry besides other things,<br />I am glad you got the fiew tooles that was to [Pheats]<br />as they were in the way to her house. I wrote a letter<br />to Phebe and allso one to Ma. I hope they both git<br />them. Edmund, you need not send me eny paper<br />as it will cost to much. I thank you for offering<br />to send me a paper, but as you are situated it would<br />be a great deal of bother to you.<br />You must write oftin to me and I will try and do<br />the same. So, hopeing this will find you all well<br />and hopeing to hear from you soon. I will close<br />by sending love to all of you.<br /> From Your Brother,<br /> Wm. P. Allcot<br />718N.Y.S.V. Near Falmouth Va. April 13th 1863<br /> Dear Parents,<br />With pleasure I take my pensil in hand to let<br />you know that I am well and hope these few lines<br />will find you all in the enjoyment of the same<br />good health. I received a letter from Thomas yesterday.<br />The letter is dated Key West March 17th so if you<br />have not heard from him since then it will be<br />news for you he is well. He says he received a letter<br />from you the same time he received one from me.<br />I received a note from a friend of John in New<br />York. He informed me that John had received<br />the apporntment of Major and is doing [Pruovoce]<br />Marshells deauty near [Bater] Roads. If it is true<br />he has got a very good situation. I hope that<br />Phebe has heard from him before this time.<br />I understand from this friend that Phebe has<br />went to your house to live. You may think it<br />strange in me for not wayting for an answer<br />to my lass letter before I wrote this, but it may<br />be some time before I can have an other oppitunity<br />to do so as we are under marching orders<br />and I expect to move to marrow with out fail<br />if we do so it may be some time before you<br />will hear from meo We have every thing in [rear]<br />ernefs to move rations and all. Our orders is to<br />cary 5 days ratcin in our knapsack and 3 in<br />our haversack making in all 8 days provisions.<br />I heardly know how we are to cary so much<br />with the resr of our things. I will tell you<br />what we have got to lug on this march 60 rounds<br />of cartridges, 8 days rations, 1 blanket, 1 overcoat,<br />a change of clothing and a gun besides a canteen<br />to carry water. If that is not a lode for a man<br />to lug on a long march, I would like to know<br />what it is that constitutes a lode for a man.<br />We have got allso to carry one peace of tent.<br />Still, it is the order and we have got to obay it.<br />I can not tell where we are ging at present,<br />but if I git a chance I will keep you posted.<br />All I hope is that Hooker when he meets the<br />enemy he will defeat them. The army is in good<br />spearets and I think they will fight to the<br />last. There was a grand review the other day<br />of the whole army and what I saw of it it beet<br />all I ever saw in my life. It seamed to me that<br />there was men enough to eat the rebels up<br />with out peper or salt. We have had good<br />weather fer a week and the roads is in good<br />cendishen so dear Ma you may expect eny day<br />to hear of us doing something to wards crushing<br />this rebellion. God grant we may be succesfull.<br />If we are not I will commence to think that<br />the South can not be counkered but let come<br />what will I am prepeared for the worse. If I<br />fall I hope I will fall with my face to the<br />enemy. Give my love to Edmund, Ann Louisa<br />and Henry. Clarice also to Phebe and the<br />little ones. Tell Phebe to answer that letter<br />that I sent her and ask her ho Guss got<br />married to. She may think me inquisitive<br />but never mind that is nothing as a person<br />to find out eny thing must ask. I have very<br />little more to say in this letter as I heardly<br />know what to say, but Ma let me know if<br />you have heard from John. If you have not<br />I will heardly credet the story of him being<br />Proovace Marshell still it may be so.<br />Give my love to all inquiring friends and<br />receive a share yourself. Thomas says he<br />wishes he was home. He says if he was he would<br />take the sloop as he thinks as I think that<br />Pa is too old togo a boating. I told him in<br /> as I have wrote to him<br />my letter / that Pa thanked him for them<br />words as it was all of our deauty to help<br />you boath a long all we could. I hope he<br />will reach home safe to carry in to affect<br />what he says he will do. We have got the<br />latist papers from Richmond. No news from<br />Charlstons ownly the sinking of one of our<br />gun boats that is nothing. All I hope is our<br />men will be succesfull. I will now close<br />as I am writing this after taps and it is<br />time to go to bed. So dear Ma plese excuse<br />this writing and by so doing you will confur<br />a faver on your son.<br /> Wm. P. Allcot<br /><br />I will write as often as I can so do not<br />feel uneasy about me. Tell Pa to write me<br />a few lines as I would be much pleased<br />to have a word from him.<br />April 14th 1863<br />P.S. Ma it has rained all night and<br />it has rained all day to day making it impossible<br />to move. The weather is quite cold with this<br />storm, but I think we will move as quick<br />as the weather permits. I have know news<br />of importance to tell you of ownly we<br />expect to git payed off very soon. I hope<br />we will not be disapointed as the boys<br />is getting very heard up. I was on picket<br />the other day and I had a very nice time<br />of it as it did not rain and the weather<br />was very nice. We exchanged papers with<br />the rebels and they seam to be very friendly<br />to us. There is not that bitter annermosity<br />that existed between the pickets when<br />this war first broke out and I am glad<br />of it for to fire on a picket in my es-<br />termation is willful murder and I<br />am glad it has stoped. I will now<br />close by sending love to you.<br /> W. A.<br />At Bankesford May 6th /63<br /> Dear Parents,<br /> I have passed through one<br /> of the worse battles I ever saw<br />in my life with only a slite flesh wound.<br />Oh. my parents how my companionds did suffer.<br />Out of about 150 men in our regiment that<br />made a charge on Sunday morning on the farm<br />stone wall, 70 were eather wounded or killed.<br />Ownly for my haversack I would have got<br />a very bad wound as the ball that struck<br />me nocked my tin cup in to three peases<br />and then passed through my haversack then<br />through my coat pants and every thing and<br />gave me a wound about a ¼ of an in deap<br />in my leg. This happened early in the morning<br />our regiment being the ownly regiment that<br />made the attack. We having no serport we<br />were repulsed. The hights was taking<br />in the afternoon by our men and reta-<br />king again by the rebs the<br />next morning. Our division has<br />[loped?] about. I can not tell yet but<br />they got a fearfull cutting up.<br />I do not know what to think of<br />this battle as in the commencement<br />every thing seamed to favor us, but<br />now in the end, we have been drove<br />back across the river defeated<br />and disheartened. Oh my God how<br />my heart achkes fer my country. No<br />men could fight better, but we were<br />overpowered by the arcursed rebels.<br />I do not know but what we will<br />have to fight our way to Washington.<br />If we do there will be fearfull<br />slaughter. I hope this will<br />reach you as you may feal<br />anxious about me.<br />I have had no sleep for 4 nights<br />and it has rained all night lass night<br />and today and I can tell you I do<br />not feal very good.<br /> Yours with respect,<br /> Wm. P. Allcot<br /><br />Excus this and write soon.<br />Camp near Falmouth Va May 9th 1863<br />Dear Ma & Pa,<br />I wrote to you on the 6th but thinking the letter would not<br />git to you I take this oppitunity of writing you a gain when<br />the excitement of battle is over and we once more come to our<br />sober thoughts. I came out of the battle of Fredericksburg<br />with a slight wound which ownly disableded for a little<br />while as I went to the rear as I did not know how bad I had<br />been hurt. Some may blame me for this but I do not care. I<br />was hit once and I was bound not to get hit the secund time.<br />I will tell you how it was. Our regiment at day light on Sunday<br />or at lease 6 Co. Of us was ordered by General Wheating to charge<br />on the famis stone wall right back of the city of Fredericksburg<br />our troops having crossed thE river about 2 miles belough the<br />town on the night of Saterday and marched into the town the<br />next morning with slite loss our regiment taking the lead<br />into the town. It was just at the brake of day when we was<br />ordered to charge and charge we did. The rebels wated untill<br />they thought we had came near anough when they opened a merderus<br />fire on to us. We had ownly time to fire one voly into them when<br />our Colonal gave us orders to fall back or we would all have<br />slaugtered as the fire was so hot we couild not lode our peases.<br />Out of about 200 men in our regiment 70 was left horse de combat.<br />9 of my companions in the Co. I belong to ownly 4 or 5 will git over it.<br />This all happened when you undoutedly was in your bed asleap little<br />thinking we were fighting so desperately on the banks of the Rapperhanock.<br />About 12 O'clock the hights of Fredericksburg was taking by a division<br />charging on to it. The rebels fighting every inch of ground. We captured<br />I should think about 1500 priserners hear. Our men, after taking the<br />hights run the enemy about 6 miles when they came and consentrated<br />there hole forse on to our Corps and drove us back like sheap. Would<br />to God we had had ownly reinforcements to help us but they were<br />not there. I can not tell how things has went. All I know is our Corps.<br />Was surrounded and we had to fight our way out the best we could.<br />Two Companies of our regiment was taking prisoners as they were sent out<br />on picket when our corps was on a retreat across the river at Bankesford.<br />Our regiment went into the fight with 393 muskets and now we muster<br />230 men making 160 men killed wounded & priseners. That is doing very<br />well for one fight I think.If this reaches you I wish you would send me<br />a paper with the full perticculers of this fight for I think it has<br />been the bluddest that has been fought through this war. I do not<br />know what to think of it for every thing seamed to faver us fer a hole<br />[?week] and fer it to turn out as it did in more than I can tell. Still I will<br />not say eny think untill I git the official report of General<br />Hooker. We had ought to have been succesfull for his planes was<br />good as far as I could see. I heardly now what is to become of us as a<br />People and there is nothing left for the government to do but inforce<br />the conscriptun as our army has been weakened considerable and<br />will be weakened still more by the 9 months men going home<br />in a few days. All the trubble is we have not got men enough<br />in the field and to cary this war to a succesfull close we have got<br />to have men. If men will not come out, conscript them. If they resist<br />the draft, blow them to peases for they are unworthy to be called<br />americans. Give my love to Pa. Tell him I received his letter and<br />was verry glad to hear from him. Give my love to Edmund, Henery,<br />Clarra, Phebe and her little ones. Also to Ann Louisa & her husband.<br />I want you to write as soon as you git this letter so I will know<br />that you got it. Also, let me know if you got that money yet as<br />that worries me a little. It has rained fer the lass 4 days making<br />it feal eney think but cumfortable for us as we was out into it most<br />all the time. Today it is very warme and nice, but I feal the affects<br />of the late storm a little as the rumertism has ketched<br />me in the ankles a little, but I gess it is all right. I have<br />very little more to say this time ownly do not feal uneasy<br />about me fer the wound I got is allmost healded aready. [?It is]<br />I will be all right. Do not fail to right as soon as you<br />git this for I will feal very anxius to hear wether you<br />have heard from me. I have very little more to say at present<br />ownly do not feel anxius about me. So hoping this will<br />find you all well. I will close by sending my love to you<br />all. Give my love to all enquiring friends and write soon<br /> From Your Son<br /> Wm. P. Allcot<br /> Co D. 62nd N.Y.S. Vol.<br /> Wheatings Brigade<br /> Washington<br /> D.C.<br />Please answer this.<br />July 12th. I received a letter from John today<br />he is all right. Date of the letter June 28th<br /><br />On Pickett – 2 miles from Boomsboro July 11th 1863.<br />Dear Ma, As this is the first lasure time I have<br />had in allmost a mont, I improve it by telling you<br />a little of my expeareance as a soldier in the Army<br />of the Potomac. We left Centersville where the first<br />fight of Bull Run took place on Thursday June<br />25th and marched to a place called Dranesville in<br />a pelting storme a distance of 22 miles. On the 27th<br />we left Dranesville and marched to Poolsville 18 miles.<br />We left Poolsville the next day and marched to what<br />they called the Newmarket road a distance of 22<br />miles. The next day we left the road and marched<br />22 miles to a town called Ridgeville. The next<br />day we marched to Westminster. The rebel cavelry<br />had been there at 5 O'clock in the morning and we<br />got there in the afternoon. When we got to this place<br />we was compleatly wore out and we could not go eny<br />further as we had been marching night and day getting<br />little or no sleep. So we stade here all night and the<br />next day untill just before night. When we herd<br />that General Reynolds had been killed at<br />Gettiesburg and his men drove back. So we<br />took up our line of march to Gettiesburg a distance<br />of 42 miles. We marched all night and did not stop<br />untill we got there which took us untill 1 O'<br />clock the next day. When we got to Gettiesburg<br />the fight was going on very hevy. We rested 2 hours<br />when our division was ordered into it as the<br />rebels was driving our men back like sheep.<br />Our brigade led the division allthough [wise]<br />[our] we went in with a cheer which checked the<br />rebels and then we yoused the baynout on them<br />which was more than they could stand. Would<br />to God we had had one hour more day light we<br />would have gave the rebels a chastisement they<br />would not fer get in some time. As it was we<br />recaptured 2 guns the rebels had taking from<br />our men that we relieved. We wanted to follow<br />them, but our General would not let us.<br />We lade in line of battle all night among our<br />wounded and killed men, but we slep fer all<br />that fer we was tired out. The next day the Rebels<br />drove in our pickets which fell back to our line and we<br />poared in a volly which sent them back. Then they massed<br />there troops and made a desperate charge on our right.<br />Our men stood there ground and repultes them hamsomly.<br />They charged and re-charged on the fathfully squad of<br />men but it was no youse. Our men sent them realing back<br />with fearfull sloughter. There slane lade in heapes. We<br />captured 3 or 4,000 of them which could not get back<br />and some 25 stand of flags. Our men suffered, but<br />not one fell where 10 of the rebels bit the dust. Just<br />before dark on that memorible Friday, July 3rd our<br />line was ordered to charge which we did in fine stile<br />the Bucktailes a head and my regiment supporting<br />them. The Bucktailes being a head they captured<br />a flag from the 15 Georgia and about 150 of there<br />men. The rebels was taking by supprise as they were<br />berring there dead. They left everything in there flight.<br />That night we stade on Picket it raining and we had not<br />eaven a blanket with us as in the charges we left every thing<br />behind. We was relieved in the morning which was the<br />4 of July and we went to look for our blankets and [Co?]<br />but some other party had taking them. Well, we had<br />to make the best of it. So as it was raining I went over the<br />battle ground and I picked up a blanket for myself<br />a[nd] Kelly. And although I was wet as a drownded rat, I<br />lade down on the ground and went to sleep<br />a[nd] slep all day with nothing but this wet blalanket<br />over me. We stade on the battle ground untill Sunday<br />then we took up our line of march (as the rebels had<br />retreated under cover of night) after the rebels.<br />The first day we marched ownly 8 miles when our cavelry<br />came up with the rebels rear guard in teir 8 miles<br />march. I saw all of the rebel wounded which they<br />had left behind. Every house and barne (and they were<br />pleanty of them as there [???] ?thickly [???] ?but<br />I was [???] of the rebels. We stade over night<br />in line of battle. Monday July 6th at a place called<br />Fairfield – a nice little place. Our cavelry harres<br />the rebels all the time. On the evening of the 7 th<br />we took up our line of march over the mountains<br />this allthough ownly a few miles was the wors<br />march of all as it commenced to rain and as we had<br />ownly a path to walk it was very hard. It took us<br />all night and part of the next day to do it.<br />Still for all that our boys had no complaints.<br />Never saw them in better spearits in my life than<br />on this march for we was chasing a flying enemy<br />that was agont to eat us up with ouut pepper or saly.<br />After we crossed the mountains we came to a place<br />called Middletown. From there we marched to<br />Boomsboora and keched up with the rebels. The<br />day bwfore yesterday we arrived at Boomsboro.<br />Since that time we have been up in line of<br />battle three times as our cavelry has made life......
| + | high privates. This, in my estermation, is a verry good<br />thing. They will not march the men quite so<br />hard on a long march. The officers did not care before<br />as they had nothing to carry, but it was different<br />with us as we have got 40 rounds of cartridges and<br />a heavey knapsack to carry besides other things,<br />I am glad you got the fiew tooles that was to [Pheats]<br />as they were in the way to her house. I wrote a letter<br />to Phebe and allso one to Ma. I hope they both git<br />them. Edmund, you need not send me eny paper<br />as it will cost to much. I thank you for offering<br />to send me a paper, but as you are situated it would<br />be a great deal of bother to you.<br />You must write oftin to me and I will try and do<br />the same. So, hopeing this will find you all well<br />and hopeing to hear from you soon. I will close<br />by sending love to all of you.<br /> From Your Brother,<br /> Wm. P. Allcot |
