April 12th, 1862
Camp Near Yorktown Va.
Apl. 12th, 1862
Dear Sister Mag
I suppose that / you are expecting that we are fighting / away here at a desperate rate, / and that we are proportionaly / used up but thus far we / have not been doing anything / of much account and we have / been laying here till we get a / lot of seceshers in a bag / at leaste it is supposed / that we are trying to surround / the enemy and that that accounts / for part of our inactivity / here. I had a letter / from Ben Heuey a few days / ago. He said that our folks / had gone to Freeport and that / you were not well.
Ben has been very kind. / This is a very fine day here
[Page 2]
but we have had some pretty / disagreeable weather
We have heard that news from / No 10 Island and reports / of another fight but haven’t / got the particulars of the / latter. We have just heard of the Merrymac / making another visit to Fortress / Monroe & raising a row there / generally. I think they ought to stop her rambles / some how.
I hope you are well by this / time and that the children / are well. Give my love / to them and to Kate Myers / I had a letter from Kate / that I will answer when we / get to some place where writing / is easier done up than it is here. / It is as much as I can get done / to let you all Know how / we are getting along,
Your aff…
Gus
