1861 October 1 Camp Near Germantown Virginia

My Dear Creek

As I have a few spare moments I will write
you a few lines, I suppose before this reaches you Joshua Holland
will have started here, to see his son, What will be his
feelings when he finds he is too late to see him alive in
this world, he died this morning about 8 o clock he has
suffered very much and was not in his right mind
for two or three days, only at times he could collect his senses
till last night he became perfectly sensible and continued
so till his death, he told the men who were waiting on him to tell
his father & Mother that he was willing and felt ready to die,
and seemed to be perfectly composed till his last moments
I have just been out to have a coffin made for him it will
be ready and I shall do all in my power to have his body sent
home, should I not be able to accomplish this, I will so arrange
it that it can be moved at some other time when I have an
opportunity of doing so, if his Father comes on however (as we
are now expecting) their will be no difficulty in sending him
home, but as there is not much doubt but what we are on
the eve of another great battle our commanding officers
will not allow a single man who is fit for duty to leave here
at Present for any purpose so I have little hope of being able
to start him home (unless his Father come) till after the

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pending Battle, This will most likely reach you before
any other intelligence about his death, I would have wrote
to his Father but think it better to write to you so that you can
get some of the neighbours to Break the intelligence to his Mother
as the shock to her feellings will be very great.

I have been expecting to get L. Breazele started hove every day
for this last two weeks but have not yet been able to get his
papers from Beauregard's office, they seem to be so busy that
they have no time to attend to such matters, and the company
are getting very ragged, I have only one pair of pants fit to wear
and should they give way I dont know what I am to do.
Should I not get him started in a day or two I will send the
measures home and have Brown or Jesse Smith to cut them
all out, and some one can come on from home and bring them
with them, it is an impossiability to get a stich of clothing
of any kind here just now, the Yankees robbed every store in the
County wherever they went. I think you had better have me
a pair of Pants made anyhow, here is the measure on
a slip of Paper which Breazeale has taken for me, ou had better
have Smith or Brown to cut them for you they know the stuffe
in which they ought to be cut, and be sure and make them strong
you know I am a poor hand with the needle.

I had a very handsome present in the shape of eatables this
morning, a Friend from Leesburg sent me some fine whiskey
A Roast Pig, a Baked turkey, 20 lbs of fine Honey and a
dish of Butter, Dugan and John Humphreys took dinner
with me, and we had one of the best meals we have ever eaten
in Camp, it is a good thing to have friends in any contry.

I wish we could get the orders to return to South Carolina
this winter for Quarters, it will be a pretty cold contry to pass
the winter here, but we have plenty of wood now we are allowed to
cut and haul as much as we please so it is our own faults if we
suffer for want of Fire, but should we get to South Carolina you
and Maggie could come and stay with me sometimes
How would you like to stay in a tent, wouldnt we be one
interesting Family, you would thing the shed room a pretty
large place when you got back. my tent is Just about the
size of it, and there is just about room for a bed, trunk and
table in it, and the walls begin to feel pretty thin at night
now, but I have some five or six blankets and just wrap up in
them and I feel prety comfortable.

William is well and getting along finely the other sick men
of my company are all improving except R.Y.H O Sheal whose
case is very doubtful he has Typhoid Fever

Good Bye Dear Creek Kiss our darling Maggie for me and
reserve my kindest love for yourself,

Your affectionate Husband

William

William Anderson, Captain, Co. J, 4th Regiment South Carolina Volunteers [Palmetto Sharpshooters]

MSS 10366