1861 November 7 Campbartow Pocahuntas Co Va

Dear brother & sister

I received your kind letters yesterday
eavening and red them with much pleasure I am well
and hope these few lines will finde you all well
Hayes you said you hoped that I had plenty to
eat and a good stomache I have the stomache
but not much to eat. we are still in our
tents and it is getting very cold out hear the
mountains are white around hear with snow
I was on guard last nite and it rained
and hailed snowed and blowed and it has
been so windy to day that the smoke has
hurt my eyes so that I can hardly see to write
you said our olde mill had stood all the
freshes I was glad to hear that the olde mill was
still standing unhurt she may be some help
to you all this winter every little helps and
now is the time you all neede the help.
you said that you all was sending me a great
may things that it would take a heap of
cover to keep me warm but they keep us
our every three or fore nites on guard
they keep such a large picket that it keeps
us out every three or fore nites. there
is a great many of our men on the Aligany
mountains building huts. I expect we

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winter up there one of our men come
down this morning he said the snow was
shoe mouth deep up there. There is not
any snow hear but the mountains are
white around us but we have plenty
mud which is worse than snow
the mud in our streets is shoe mouth
deep that is disagreeable you know
If they dont take us to winter quarters befor
long we will burn our clothes up standing
around the fire our far pickets has to stan
these cold nites without any fire. we have
a hard time standing guard these cold
nites. The yankees still come down every
once and a while and fire on our pickets they
come down the other nite and fired on
our pickets our pickets for of
their men and took three prisoners they
had whiskey with them our pickets found
two or three canteens partly filled with
whiskey. Martha you said that you thoug
ht that I had been away from home long
enough to come home a while it seems
so to me but I am very well sudisfide
I think I can stand it my twelve months
out. we are looking for howards wagon
shortly. Martha you said that you thought
that I didnot get the letter that was not
seiled but I got it I think I got all

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all of your letters. you said the
boys was pulling corn in the lot
I would like to be there to help them
shuckit and get some milk and corn
bread once more I havent had any milk
fpor so long a time that I expect if I was
to get where it was I would take
a founder but I reckon there is no danger
of me foundering on milk and corn bread
shortly. maby I will get home and get
some milk and corn bread some time
the spring I hope so any how
Tell all of our folks howdy and tell
Bate and Jim that thank them for the
chestnuts whether I get them or not
Tell peggy that I also thank hur for the
comb as my eyes are about smoked out
and it is getting late I will bring my
letter to a close sonomore at present
but remain your affectionate brother
William R. Gilmer

Charles H Gilmer
Martha J. Gilmer

Private, Company I, 37th Virginia

MSS 5194