1862 July 12 near Richmond, Va.

Marion Hill Near Richmond  St Evening  July the 12 1862

Dear Susan  I am well this evening, good appetite and in good Spirits considering my
unpleasant situation, Seperation from all that is dear to me But I try to bair it with the
fortitude of a soldier and I hope you may be able to bair up under the trying sircum-
stance by which you are surrounded, bee of good cheer for who can tell what the lord
may doo for us yet, for all those that fear him, the children and you and all the neighbours
would bee glad to see but wee must bair our seperation yet a little longer but I hope
the time is not far distant when I will bee restored to you all again.
  I and D J King have sent a bag each up by [?] King  mine has in it 5 blankets and
two flanner shirt that came off the battle field one old shir[t] I wore at camp Lee and did
not think it worth washing one of the flanner shirts I got on the yankeys cant[sic] where I went
the 4th July the other came from the battlefield and I gave one dollar for it you can
have them put in order and if I should live and have to stay in camp this winter
I shall kneed them and some of the blankets allso, Davy took a horse and went down
and got a load of blankets and he gave me the ones that I sent you, have them washed
and I think they will bee of some use to you thousand have bin taken from the Battle
ground and still their are more not only blankets but things of evry discrition tents cut
and slited, Davy wrote to his wife to send to go Kings after the bundle and perhaps
by the time you get this you may have got yours

wee have moved from where we were when cosin Jimmy King was down here wee have moved
across the branch on the hill opposite and in full view of the same camp also in view
of the city and in a mutch better place on a high hill in an orchard good  shade and
good water you can see from the heding of this that it is the same hill cap Magruders
company ware at last year and about 500 yds from the house they stayed in i hope it
not be necsary to move us from hear till peace is made but I see no sign of it yet
but who can tell what may happen to bring about a peace cosin Jimmy spoke of coming
down again after he got done plowing corn and I would bee glad if gid would come with
him it would not cost mutch and he could assist him in any  thing that he might
bring or you might have to send, vegatables good gracious how high they sell=

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yesterday we bought a cabage at 75cts today John Lane bought 3 unions about as
large as a goose egg and had to give a shiling a piece 50 cts for the three and everything
else in propotion  Henry Irving offerd 50 cts pr dozen for ten dozen eggs yesterday
and could not get them at that what doo you doo with sutch things if you
have any to sell small chickens 75cts to 1000$ I recon your pap is makeing
a fortune this summer, we are geting very good Bacon and Flour some time beens
and peas sometimes a tast of molases and rice but they never Both come at once
so the rice is not fit to eat without sweetning
                                                                 I will stop for the present

[letter of Andrew J. Gillespie, Ancell's Company, Virginia Light Artillery, will continue on the 13th]

MSS 9564