1861 Oct[ober 4]

Dear Kate,

I have taken
the presant opportunity of
writing time to write you
a fiew lines for the purpose
of answering your last letter
which I recieved a fiew days
since you wrote as if I
was trifling with your good
nature. I would rather fall
in the cause of our country
than to blindfold you in
any way. you were mistaken
in seeing a letter of mine
to Miss Hess as you stated
I recolect well at the last of
my letter to her I had from your
devoted friend and if you do,nt
believe me I only ask you
to look at it again none

[page 2]
but Sam Hitch new my motive
in writing her that letter it
was for his benefit she had
lost confidence in him on
account of some lies that
had been told on him about
her. shee wrote to me stating
that I was in sms presence
when he talked about her
She said that if the things were
true she was done with sam
for ever It was all a lie
that some of his enimies had ma[hole in paper]
on him through sams presua
-sion I tried to write a forci
-ble letter for I new that sam
still loved her & I am sertain
that she once loved him
I suppose if she was my devoted
lover I would have written
to her since wich I have never
done very proberably this will

[page 3]
be hard to believe put it
is eaver so; you advice is
good but in no way, I do,nt
think that I have tried to
fool any one & God forbid
that I should. I have ha [hole in paper]
blues ever since I recieved [hole in paper]
letter. I used to think that [hole in paper]
nature was to strong to [hole in paper]
be subject unto grief but
alas it is far from it
Thare are no news of impor
tance to write. Our regament
was on piket last week
I could see the dome of the
Capital in Washington city
on masons hill I could see
vessels going up and down
the Potomac at Alexandria
I could see the Yankee for-
tifications to the right of Alex
andra I couldent get to look threw

[page 4]
the spy glass Capt said he
could see the yankees working
on the breastworks Capt
counted eighteen pieces of
canon on one of thare earth
work entrenchments I was the
first one to discover after
[hole in paper] were put on post a
[hole in paper]ize balloon up in the
[hole in paper]rection of Washington
[hole in paper]had climed a large
[hole in paper]hite oak tree for the pur
pose of getting a good view
of the country thare was some
shooting every day that we
ware thare; we could hear the
yankee drumbs beating
every night the last two or
three days it was very rain
-y weather we had blenty
of roasting ears while we ware
at Pagets tavern thare was
a large field of yankee corn
close we had to fall back
about three miles before our
time was out as the yankees
were advancing but I believe
it was done to draw them on
nothing more but remain your
affectionately write soon
yours W. F. B

[in top margin of page 1]
my health is
very good &
hope this will
find you enjoying
the same blessing
It is my desire
that this letter
should be kept
secrete as it
might make
enimies some day
very[?] soon
nothing more
from your
[?]ble friend
W. H. B.

William Francis Brand, 1840-1932, of the Augusta Grays, Co. E of the 5th Virginia Infantry

MSS 11332