Head Quarters 24th Regt N.Y.H.V.
	    Near Beverly Ford Va Aug 10th /63

	Dear Mother
		          I received your
   much welcome letter yesterday. it
found me in middling good health
and able to do duty in the company
the money came safe but before I had
time to use it "Uncle Sam" made me
a present of $52.00 and I shall send
some in this letter & if it goes through
safe I shall send some more next time
I write. I should send it all at
one time but it would not be as
safe as it would to put it in two letters
     About half the Regt is doing fatigue
duty near Bealton Station building roads
bridges & corduroy roads. they have been
there a week and we do not know how
long they will stay. Harvey is there &
did not draw his pay to day but the Pay
Master is going down there after he
pays the Brigade to pay what is there

Charleston has not yet fallen & will
continue to hold out for some time
to come but our forces are steadily advancing
and the day draws nearer & nearer when
the birth place of Treason will be in the possession
of the United States forces & the flag of
Liberty will wave over that hot bed of
decepsion. The report of Fort Wagner being in
our possession was not true but our land
batteries are drawing very near to its
walls and it will Sooner or later be compelled
               the
to yield to ^ united efforts of our Army & Navy
when Wagner falls it will be only a question
of time to reduce Sumpter for Wagner is
only 1200 yards of Sumpter and with her guns
and the [?] playing from the same direction
we can soon batter down the walls of Sumpter
& when Sumpter falls Charleston is ours
     Our gunboats have made a reconnaissance
up the James river and went near
enough to Richmond that they could
hear our guns shelling the woods on
each side of the River to asertain
whether the enemy had any batteries
planted for the defense of the River but
could not find any as far as they went

     There is no news of importance
   from this direction "all is quiet" & bids
fair to continue so for some time to
come I do not think the Army of the Potomac
will move before the latter part of Sept
by which time the majority of the Conscripts
will have arrived and the Army will be
in condition to successfully contend
with Lee's Army & I think will take the
City of Richmond or necesitate if evacuation
in either case the result will be substantively
the same for it will give us full sway
in Va and the Capital of their bogus
Government on which will have a very
damaging effect upon their Foreign Affairs
     News from the Western department is
not so full of interest as it has been
for some time past. Our forces have
succeeded in Capturing the famous Guerilla
chieftain John Morgan who has committed
so many degradations upon the Union
citizens of Tennessee & Kentucky together with
his entire command numbering about
12'00 this is a very important event as
it secures comparitive safety to the citzens
of the afore mentioned States


   The weather is very warm now
and we have to keep in the shade
during the middle of the day as
much as possible to enjoy ourselves
any   I cannot think of any thing
more of interest to write this time
and I do not know as what I have
written will interest you and so I
     will close by requesting you to write
soon as convenient and oblige your
    obedient Son   J H Wheeler
	     Co H 44th Regt N.Y.S.V.

To Mrs
        Sarah Wheeler

P.S. Please send me a few
Postage stamps for they are a scarce
article here
		Yours etc
			JHWheeler

Sarah Wheeler