862 May 20 West Point, Va.

West Point Va  May 20

Dear Mother
I am still at this place
though the last I heard from
the Regt it was 17 miles from here on
the road to Richmond and I dont
know how far it is from here
by this time as that was 2 days ago
and they said they were cooking up
three days rations to go on again
There is 6 of us here with a Lieut
guarding commissary stores
that they could not carry and
we dont know when we shall
join them probably not till
they get into Richmond.  The
weather is getting awful warm let
me tell you but we are having
a good time here living on
fresh fish & oysters which we
catch ourselves and to day

[page 2]
we had CHICKEN SOUP
for dinner, only think of it-
We bought two hens of the darkies
for 75 cts The only thing that
troubles us here is that we have
not got any sugar for our coffee
nor any Saleratus but plenty of
flour but we get along tip top
and have got provisions enough
to last us a month so we dont
care whether they send for us
or not hope they wont till
they get into Richmond
for then we shall ride
and not have to carry our
"shoulder trunks" 35 miles
over a hard toad to trabbel
Tomorrow we are going to do
escort duty to one of Berdens
Sharpshooters that is dead he
was guarding stores and we
re going to give him a good
a military burial as

[page 3]
circumstances will permit
There is not much news stirring
here in fact we have not seen
a paper for most a fortnight
in fact we that are behind are
entirely out of civilization as
we get no mails but  before
next Sunday we shall
probably be with the boys.
Is Asa at Norfolk doing
provost duty or not I have
not heard any thing from
him for a good while and
I think we shall stop at
Richmond through the summer
and if so I shall have plenty of
time to write to him and all
other friends I would write to him
now but that is the last
stamp I have got and I
cant get any here and I
cant send them without as I
have to depend on uncertainties


[page 4]
about getting them to the
mail as there is no mail
from this place but I
must close and be on the
lookout for a chance
to send this  Give my respects to
all enquiring friends and take
my love yourself.

From your son

William Wallace

William Wallace Smith, Co. B,  22nd Massachusetts

MSS 15360