1863 January 20

Dear brother & sister
I received your kind
letters at this place.  I am will with
the exception of a cold.  we left winchester
on new years day and have been laying
out a part of the time wihout[sic] tents
or blankets.  Their has been three deaths
in our company since I wrote to you
last Eliga Harrass James Peck & Bolivar
Cowan.  bolivar dide at Bath in Morgan
County.  we have been down on the
potomack river aburning bridges & taring
up railrode on the Baltiomore & ohio
railrode.  we was in a skirmish at
Capon bridge we lost four men
killed & Severl wounded the minny
Bolls whstled around our heads for
a while.  we ran the yankees out
of Bath without any fighting only fireing
a cannon or two from their we went
on to the railrode and their we had
a little fight the minny balls whistled
around my head but as it happened
none of them struck me we made
the attack after night and we
found that we could not

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accomplish any thing after night
and we left and next morning we
went back to try them again but
they was gon all but a few and we
burnt the bridge depot and telligraft
office. their was a few men on the other
side of the river that fired while
we was fireing the bridge but they
done no harm.  Their was more canon
acting on the potomack the night of 4th
than I ever heard.  I have saw more men
since new yars day than I ever saw before
Martha I got all of you christmas gifts
and you all got my new yars gift I have
paid you all by sending my likeness
to you.  it has to pay you all.
Martha I am in hurry I will have to
bring my badly written letter to a close
as I have written this in a hurry  I hope
you will excuse all bad spelling and
mistakes.for I know that I have left
out some words and put in some that
I ought not to put in
Bolivar Cowan was not sick more than
48 hours he dide without a struggle
write soon and let me know whether
you got my likeness or not
W. R. Gilmer
Martha & Hayes

William Rives Gilmer,  Co. I, 37th Virginia

MSS 5194