June 23rd, 1862
Camp Near New Bridge Va. June 23 1862
Dr Ben Your
of the 15th inst. came to me / in due time I suppose you are pretty
busy / now as your father is away. I am not sur- / -prised at the “over left
friends” friends that / I have got about Curllsville, are not pleased /
that I have got a little promotion, but I / dont care what they think or feel
about my / case. They have done me no good that I / Know of and I dont owe any
of them / anything. They have tried to do me some hard harm but have not
succeeded very well and / if I get home they I will try and get even with
some of them
I was sorry
when Capt. Kerr had to go home / and I hope he will get well soon. About / his
making you a Lieut. I dont think it / would be very pleasant for you for I think
/ that certain members of that company wish to / get commissions themselves.
And they would / be bitterly opposed to anyone else coming / in. Capts Kerr and
Beck and are detailed / on recruiting service. If I were you, without /
there would seem to be a great necessity / I would not enter the service again
because / you have lost a great deal now and / would lose still more to come
away again / And it is not likely that you would have better health / than you
had before /
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I hope you have had a pleasant time in Freeport / I know if I could have been there we / together could have a good chance for fun. / You are very kind to Mag and I am very / thankful to you for it. I have got an / old government horse now but I will get / a better one if the position that I now hold / becomes permanent. I would like to have / a Powhattan but it would cost more / than I could make in a good while to bring him / here. I hope Ell Lyon & you & Tate will / get along well, and not get into any trouble / on my account as most all the pretty / folks up there are down on me. I / hope Tate will have a good time with / Em Dunkle I would like to spend a few / pleasant moments with a good looking / female these hot nights. It is a long / time since I had any conversation with / a piece of dimity.
Has Tate Henry’s leg got straight. How / have you got. you never say how you / are. There will be no new Lieuts. in our Co until Col. McQuade gets confirmed / and that may not be at all And he / and the rest of us may be ordered /
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back to our regiments at any time. /
If he gets a permanent appointment as / Brig. Genl. and I still stay as aid / then John Myers would be a Lieut / and I would like to see John get it / he is a good fellow has made a good orderly and would make a / good Lieut and Johnston would / make a good orderly and there / are no better fellows than Johnston / I suppose Flavus(?) Josephus Stoner can / tell stories as long as himself. Has he / any notion of soldiering. He ought to / Enlist for his face would split a bullet and he couldnt get hurt in the head unless / he would catch it in his mouth / I am very well. The company are in / pretty good health now. Have you / heard anything from Andy Harriger. / I have heard that old Barnes has / got home. I wish they would / discharge him Henry Stewart / has got over his promiscuous eating & / recovered his health And makes a / very good soldier now.
John Henry has been sick for /
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for a good while but is getting better / Andy Jenkins was a corporal but / Capt reduced him for ugly conduct. / Goheen is still around and dont swear / or make any more noise than he / used to, and I feel bound to / say not much less, John / Stover & John Konkle are growly / as ever. And the balance of the / company are coming on as usual / Some of our fellows were on picket / the other day and John Truman / Tom Stover and some more went / over and had a talk with the Rebels / and traded caps buttons & c. the / seceshers were very friendly. Things / are pretty quiet here, but we have / artillery fights every day. /
and over on the left they have / had several skirmishes lately. / Remember me to your wife to / Sarah and to all the family
I wish I could have been to Freeport / with you. Well good boy
Yours truly,
W.G.L.
