1861 June 19 Richmond [Virginia]

My Dear Creek

According to promise I write you
as soon as possible on arriving here; we are all encamped
about 2 1/2 miles from the city of Richmond on a very
pleasant place, we have fine shade trees and very fine water
and the weather has been very pleasant since we arrived.
I will not pretend to give you a history of our journey
to this place, it makes me mad every time i think
of it, we had to ride most of the way on open cars and it
rained very heavy on us one night, and you may depend
their was a good deal of grumbling done, but the Boys
soon forgot it all as soon as we got here, and got comfortably
fixed, their is not a man that I know of in the Regiment
but what is satisfied at present; only all are anxious to meet
the enemy, as soon as possible and have it all over with and get
back home to you all again, we have just Recieved orders this
moment to march to Manassas junction tomorrow
so if we can get cars we will leave here. the Railroad agent
however says we will not get of[f] in three or four days as the
road is filled up with volunteers for that time and we will
have to wait till they are all passed over the road

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Their is over ten thousand soldiers quartered in the neighborhood
of this place at present, but the South Carolina volunteers
are more thought of than any of them. We have all the Ladies
to visit our encampment and beg us just to give them a
Palmetto or a Palmetto button or anything else that has
come from South Carolina. When we got here it was about
nine O Clock at night but the Ladies all turned out on
the streets as we passed through them, and I have no doubt
but what I shook the hands of one hundred of them
as we passed and every one had the prayer of God Bless
the South Carolians on their lips, it is truly encouraging
to us to be looked up to and respected as we are, and all of our
boys seem to appreciate it for they are behaving like gentleman.

James and Dugan are both well and highly pleased. bill
comes to my tent sometimes to get a drink of Whiskey he says
it is hard that officers can keep it and not the men, But he
is doing finely and their is not a finer soldier in
the Regiment than him, James is also learning his
duty very fast and will soon be up with the best of them

Now Creek you must excuse me for that short letter I wrote
you before leaving Columbia their was a whole lot of extra
duty throwed on me just at that time and I did not
even sleep for three nights--only an hour or so at a time
I never saw Johhan to speak to only twice all the time he
was down here, and I left the place nearly broke down

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But you may depend on hearing from me often now
for I have never felt that I have been away from
home till now when I was in Columbia I could hear from
you every day by someone or other but now it is different
and you dont know how I weary to hear from you I looked
for a letter from you before I left Columbia but did not get
it, do write it soon as you get this, tell me all the news
and tell me how Dear little Maggie is getting on has she
forgot me yet Oh Creek what would I not give to have you
both with me you dont Know how lonesome I feell without
you, true there is a great deal of excitement in camp life
and it has many pleasures, But it wants the softening
influences of Wife and Child to make it feel like home
But I trust that Providence will permit me to pass
through the dangers of war, and return to you both again
when we will again live happily together as we have
always done.

I will write you again in a day or two and as soon as we
leave this place I will write you every day or nearly as I know
you will be anxious to hear what had become of us and
how we are all getting on. Tel Josh. Holland billy is well
and doing finely Andy Wardlaw and Gambrell Smith are also
with the company are all able to be on duty not a sick
man in it.

Has John Alexander sent you Maggies dog yet--I could

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not see the man that had it before I left and he said
he would get it and send it up by Andrew Norris
I will close this scrawl for the present I dont know
whether you can read it or not I have wrote it all in my
tent on a piece of plank lying on my knee and my attention
has been called of twenty times or more since I gegan

May God Bless and protect you and Little Maggie
is the ernest prayer of your
Devoted Husband
William

Address Capt. W. Anderson
4th Regt S.C.V.
Richmond Va

if we should leave here before it comes
it will be forwarded to me