1861 August 10 Senterville[sic] Fairfax Co. Va.

Dear Kate,
I recieved your kind and
affectionate letter by Mr. Britton I was happy
indeed to hear from you and to hear you
ware well with all the rest of you brothers
and sisters. my health is very good and
hope when these uninterresting lines comes
to hand you may be enjoying the same
with all the pleasure this poor world can
afford. I have the blues this morning and you
must not exspect as long a letter as usual
Bother John & Tom Graham got to disputing
about a very trifling matter. John was left out
of his mess to get breakfast, and it not being
ready when we came of[f] our drill Graham com-
menced cursing John when he had been swearing
as John thought long enought he told him
to stop. Graham jerked up a stick and let
him have it over the face. at that moment
the capt intofeared & sent Graham to the
Guard house Capt told John when ever
he got a chance to give him a good whip
ping I am sorry the fus occured but it
can not be helped know, The Staunton
band has came down to blay[sic] for the regament

[page 2]
we ware marched [o]ut yesterday morning to
be reviewed by the prince Napolian Thare
was tow[sic] brigades making ten or twelve rega-
ments all drawed up in line of Battle it
was a magnifisent View. The Prince just
passed along the road I should have liked
to have seen him, cousin Joseph R. Brand
was over to us the other day I think he wares
teh same old face he used to ware he seems
to be a very kind & tender hearted young man
he seems to be acquainted with young men all
over the State his school mates at Collige
we took dinner with one of his former Teachers
he had a very nice diner such as Chicken
pork and good light bread & blackbury jam
wich we used instead of putter[sic]. I renewed Jons
acquaintance with J. P.L. Jo. said he didnt
know any in our Co put[sic] your Brother,
Charles & my self, he said he never would
have none me if I hadent laughfed when
I seen him. Jon was at fairfax court house
when the yankees came on them & they had
to retreat back to Bulls run another of our
old school mates was to se us Wm. Weeb,
you would not know him for he has such a
large beard & mustache, he belongs to the
Monasella Guards, has a very nice uniform
Weeb & cousin Jo. both belong to brigadeer General

[page 3]
Coxes brigade I have seen both my oncles
since the Grate Battle of bulls run I shall know
give you a short account of the Battle.
We recieved orders about the dawn of day to
march down to the run & to charge on a
battery near our breastworks we had been
thare an hour and half when we recieved orders
to change our position we marched about three
miles north our enimies had been connonad
ing us for some time at different points
at eight oclock the attack became general I can not
discribe the fireing of small arms at nine
Oclock our brigade was ordered to the seen
of slaughter on our way we met the Staunton
Artillery the men said thay ware almost out
of amunition and ware nearly surrounded
We advanced in quick time to surport the Wash
ington artillery on the right wich don exilent
sevice in the engagement we threw down a fence
and advanced a fiew paces and was ordered
to lay down and incessant fire was kept up
by our enimies for a bout ten or fifteen
minutes I believe if we had have raised up
at one time we would have all been wounded
or killed the balls seemed to range about two
feet above the ground. the regaments in advance
of us fell back in confusion but on basing[sic] our
line immdiately formed again we then ware

[page 4]
ordered to advance in quick time to the old front
we then laid down waiting orders to fire we beged our
officers to let us fire at a regament on our right
but they said they ware our friends & would not let
us fire on them. We then commenced fireing at three
or four Reg. in front of us I gave them three rounds
& then we feel back some twenty or thirty yards &
met another Reg. advancing we went up with them
some of our boys went on & never stoped at all & some
had left before we went up to the house. I hollowed at
Sam two or three times put he would not listen to me.
When we went up the seckond time that Reg.
on our right fired on us put with little effect
we returned thare fire throwing them in to confusion
for a little while we all got behind the house & corn
crip fences & evry think that would shield us from
thate manie balls I got behind the crip and fired five
times at them I looked round & couldent see any
of our Reg. they had fallen back to the woods I had
got mixed with a south carolina Reg. & they ware
now falling back. I turned round and jumped
over a dead man & commenced retrting to the woods
I couldent find my one Reg. or at least I did not
hunt long for I cam upon the fourth Alabama Reg.
and laid down besides my Oncle Wm Mosby one
of the men was shot on the oposite side of Oncle John
from me the men seemed grately excited the most
of thare field officers was killed in the Battle Oncle Wm was
not touched oncle John was not thare he was sick
in Winchester I reckon you was at the mountain
with that large crowd of Mr Brittons, he said he
kissed upwards of twenty ladies & said he could have
kissed them all put he told them they ware too wil
ling & he would not kiss any more I should like
very much to come home for a fiew days put it is
impossible at presant I must bring this scrall to a
close asking an interrest in your prayers excuse
all mistakes & bad writing Write soon to your
devoted friend.
William F. Brand

[top left corner margin of page 1]
You said I [?]
wrote this on the
other letter Recieve
the rose bud with
the emblem &c
I hardly know what
is the emblem with
out it as you are
to young to love
if so I never knew
it before & dount
believe it yet.
good by my
ever remembered
friend.


[in envelope addressed to Miss Amanda C. Armentrout, Greenville, Augusta County Virginia]


Private, Co. E, 5th Virginia Regiment.

MSS 11332