The Dis. Of Col. Camp Kenly. Sept. 12
Dear Wife, I recived your letter one 1 o’clock to day and was maid happy by hering that you was was all well and am thank full to the grate being for his good ness to us all. Your letter reached me jest after I had returned from Gorge Town with my likeness, which you hav harped so much a bout. I has so hungrey that I hatto ear before reading, so you can see by that that I am in good helth. Liz, if I could giv you considerable of news if I had time to rite to you, but I will giv you the perticulars in another letter some of these days. I got three likeness taken to day. I paid for 2 and the man gave me the third few gratis. I will enclose 2 of them in this letter. One for your self, the other for Mother. You have the chois of corse then. In my next I will send the other for Polly. Liz, my advice to you is that you must not be to particular a bout what you take money or orders you ought to be rewled by circumstance . If you need any thing that you can get for orders of cors, take them. If you dow not need anything of corse, wate for the money you gave Father you don perfectly right in giving it to him. I was very sorrow when the that part of your letter for it brought before my mind the suffering that will come with winter to the people on the rivers that depend on the coal for busness for a living.
Well Lizz, when I commenced to write this letter, I thought that I would not have time to write the particulars, but there was a man toock my place on gard, tharefor, I am left at my lashour. Well, wee have not had a fight yet, but there was a prospect the knight before last of us partisapating in one that day. Firing canon commenced about 2 oclock at intervills to our left. At 3 oclock, it became more regular. Fifteen past 3 it was very rapid and hevy. One half our more, the firing cesed all to gether. The regiment was out on parade at the time and the ordered us to our quarters to pre pare for battle on one half hour more. Genral McCall aid arrived with orders to march to filed of battle. This was was haled with thretimes three and off wee went on duble quick. Then the went out and the nois with it. We travled on more slowly within a mile of the chane pridge. The roads was fool of men in evry direction, ralling to the center to try what thare guns was maid for, but ware doomed to be disappointed a gane. There wee met the forces returning from the conflick with the glorious news of victory, but to ascertain the rel facts of of the advantage was impossible, but from what I have hered, since it was a batry of strong posision sustained by a strong fors of cavalry an infantry, but one our administering of the blew belled yankey pills tured them ump, so affectively in the rear, that thay thought the dose sufishent for them and thay left 8 men kild on our side, and knowen how meny on thares, but is supposed to be a grate menny more.
A Penman