Bank of James River, Va June 25th 1864 Dear Nell Yours of the 19th came to hand last evening and having nothing better to do I will try to scratch off a few lines in reply.. I sent you a hastily written note Tuesday morning giving you an account of Monday's affair. from which we were lucky enough to escape safely. Wednesday afternoon we recrossed the river and at midnight commenced our march for the James river which we reached yesterday afternoon at a place some five or six miles above here called Wilson's wharf.. from whence we started at midnight last night and arrived here at daylight this morning We found boats ready for us to cross on and they are now shoving the wagons over as fast as possible: our turn will come about dark I presume. We have had a pretty close time get ting here I think. although we know but little about it. Every one beleives that we started to go to Harrison's Landing but we can not get there. as it is some fifteen miles above here and the Johnny's are thicker than flies in dog days between here and there.. When we crossed the Chickahominy night before last at a point a little below Jones' bridge our advance was skirmishing with the rebels less than a mile a head of us. and yesterday morning we passed six new made graves. On reaching Charles City Court House about ten O.clock our advance encountered a force of Johnnies and we were compelled to halt for some time The 2nd Division of cavalry. (Gen Greggs) had a severe fight with them yesterday afternoon and got whipped severely. and since I commenced writing I have heard a good many reports from artillery.. I can not conceive what object our commanders could have had in leaving our train at White House so long after everything else had left there The army has all been south of the James for several days past. and each day was taking away more and more of our little force at that place. The rebels were not in any wise sharp or we would never have got off one tenth part of our train as it was. Had they brought up their artillery the first thing a force of Johnnies and we were compelled to halt for some time The 2nd Division of cavalry. (Gen Greggs) had a severe fight with them yesterday afternoon and got whipped severely. and since I commenced writing I have heard a good many reports from artillery.. I can not conceive what object our commanders could have had in leaving our train at White House so long after everything else had left there The army has all been south of the James for several days past. and each day was taking away more and more of our little force at that place. The rebels were not in any wise sharp or we would never have got off one tenth part of our train as it was. Had they brought up their artillery the first thing We could not hlep but admire the working of our gunboats that day. Such excellent practice none could have been better. Every shot seemed to strike the right spot. They upset one gun for the Johnnies and blew up one ammunition wagon while one of our land batteries blew up one caisson. The gun boats fired shells weighing from 32 lbs to 100 lbs which made a noise like forty steam engines while going through their air Our boys call them. threshing machines.. camp kettles. pots of beans. nail keger and a dozen other names. The largest ones were fired from ten inch Colum biads. and Rodman guns and were about two feet long and look very much like our camp kettles. I saw one half of a 8 inch shell (32 pounder) that had been thrown from one of our gun boats and bursted. it was about 14 inches long and had been filled with common ounce musket balls. and powder. The rebs had small guns. about 12 pounders. but of pretty long range.. We are beginning to learn what summer is in the “Sunny South.” I never saw much hotter weather than we are having at present.. I have heard tell of roasting eggs in the sand and meat in the sun and if such a thing is possible I beleive it could be done now. We have had no rain to amount to anything for a month and the roads are like beds of ashes. and the dust is almost suffocating. The roads have been filled with dead animals so much that every bit of dust we inhale is scented with the stench. Taking all this with ditch water and hard march ing day and night and you can judge of the effect it has on man and beast Many are sick with fevers, colds. diarhea and the many other diseases common to in hot weather For a week and more I have been rather under the weather.. Last week I had the toothache in an old snag which ulcerated and swelld my face till it presented much the same appearance [illegible in original] is supposed to have done after half an hours mauling from King.. I got the old snag dug out. and that got better. then I caught a hard cold which settled in the upper part of my head. and marching in. the dust and hot sun I felt like going under as much as I ever did in my life. but thinking I would be just as well off to stick to it I have done so and have managed to wear the darned thing about out and begin to feel better again. We had a splendid swim last night at Wilson's Wharf during high tide which helped me about as much as anything. The James river is as large a river as I ever saw. and just at present is quite a busy stream We can see boats in motion at all times Some Hospital boats went down the river last night. The gun boat Pequod from Boston lay at the wharf last night and one or two are near here. The Pequod is quite a large boat mounting ten guns of the largest calibre.