1862 January 21 Romney, Hampshire County Va

Dear brother & sisters

I received you kind letters
the other day and was glad to hear from you
all but was sorry to hear of Pa being sick
you said that you had not had a letter from
[me] for along time but I expect you have
had a letter before now for I wrote one
while I was at the cross rodes in morgan
County. we are know at Romney one of the
last places in virginia it is nothing but
a mud hole the yankees had tore it up
side down before we got hear. they run
away from hear in a hurry and left some
things they left about two hundred tents
and some stores they burnt up agreat
many things before they left. we have
as hard a time hear as we did when
we was at greenbrier we have agreat
deal of picketing to do hear their is
about one half of our regiment back back[sic]
behinde on the sick list which makes
it harder on us that is up. I have been
with my Company ever since we left
Abingdon and have performed most all

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of my duties. Cummings, Fletcher & James
A. Gilmer has got up at last James is so
fat that you would not know him he
sais that he weighs one hundred & seventy lbs.
I would like to give you the history of our
last travails but I wrote some about
our travails in the letter that i wrote
while we was as the cross roads we
marched from the cross rode to this place
and we are know stationed hear and I expe
ct we will stay hear the rest of this
winter if the yankees dont run us out
of hear and you need not be surprised
if you hear of us running from this place
for it is the worst position we have
ever had I had to frank the last
letter that I wrote to you all for I
had no change nor any stamps and
I expct you had better take a five cents
in your pocket when you go to lift
this letter but I sent to town to day
for some stamps but I dont know
whether I will get any or not. We have
never been in but one schirmish and that
was at capon bridge we only lost
but four killed and some wounded

[page 3]
Martha you said that I ought to have
made that man take my likeness over
the room was full awaiting for him to take
their likeness and he would not take the
time so I had to come off the best I could
I wasnt well when I had my likeness
taken but it was the only chance Sarah
you said my likeness did not faver me
but the boys all said it favered me
mightly. Sarah I got the socks that
you sent to me and was well pleased
with them. tell Pa ma maryan & all
the rest howdy for me tell Leum
Gim Bate & all of them little fellows
howdy for me Tell Charles M. Browning
to write that they have been running
me about so that I could not write
to him tell him that I dident get
the letter that him & Wilson wrote
to me. As my fingers are getting
cold I will bring my letter to close
dont allway wate for me to write
for some times I haven't any paper
ink write once aweak your Brother
William R. Gilmer

Martha J. Gilmer
Sarah W. Gilmer
Charles H Gilmer

Private, Co. I, 37th Virginia InfantryMSS 5194