1862 September 30 Camp near Well Hope Church

          Camp Near Wellhope Church
                 September the 30, 1862

Dear Cousin    [Chloe Unity Blair]

                  After long silance I write
you afew lines which will inform
you that we are boath well,
I have had very good health since I left
Richmond, John has bin alittle sick several
times tho he is very well at this time,
hard marching agrees with me finely and
I tel you I have had enough of that to
make me fat, if i only cud of goten
enough to eat, the rations has bin very
scanty a large portion of the time sence we
have bin marching, we have not marched
much for the last ten days and it looks
like thay are trying to feed us to death
now, thay are giving us any quantity of
fresh beef and fresh hog meat,
I would like very much to gave you
a history of our travels, tho I have not
got the patiants nor time to write it,
I hope we will all be permited to
return to our homes in peace soon, and
then I can tel you of our ups and downs
it is thaught in camp that we will
gave peace soon and trust we may
tho I dont know the public oppinion
& I have not seen a paper in a month

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all of our conscripts are sick thay was only four
sent to our company, John Handley & Whit
and Henry Inman and Buc Truett
our old members has kept up finely concid
ering the exposure we have to waid every
stream we come to that has no bridge acroos
it, we  have waided the potomace three times,
we are not aloud time to take off our clothing
we croos creeks and rivers, we have to go in
just as we are, and then march with
our wet clothing on B[?] Pritchett & Jac are
both sick and at the hospital, Dosey Price
has been sick for some time, he has bin
staying at private hous close by Winches
ter, I   all of our sick & wounded are order
ed from Winchester to Staunton
  I think we will ho bac to Richmond
again soon at least I hope so for I have
not hird a word from home since I left
Richmond, you must write to me soon and
direct your to Winchester, we are onley
five miles from Winchester now,
          I will close by ading that I remain
your affectionate cousin James Booker
gave my love to uncle Drury and cousin
America and tel them to write to me,
John says he will write to you soon

James and John Booker, Co. D. 38th Virginia "Whitmell Guards"

MSS 11237