Camp No 15 Near Richmond
		June 1st 1862

		Dear. Friends.
		    I have just recd
a letter from Yorkshire Centre
containing 3 notes and am now
seated to answer it and you must
not be selfish but each
consider this as an answer to
the one written to me.
     I am rather poorly at
present but nothing serious
I have written you before about
the battle of Hanover where our
regiment was engaged, but was
unable then to asertain the
loss. We had 19 killed on the
field and about seventy wounded
6 six of which have since died
no one from our town except

     Warren Crook. injured. he
was killed early in the action
by a ball through the breast
eight others of one company were
wounded, one it is feard fatally
     We are now within about 8
miles of Richmond and I
think before saturday night next
we shall be in the city or else
farther from it than we now are
You spoke of the Presidents
proclamation calling for 50000
additional volinteers and think
that means more fighting. I can
tell you the reason for that. the
rebel congress has passed what is
called the "conscription act"
which obliges every able bodied
man between the ages of 16 & 45
to enter the army and by this
means they have obtained a large

     number of troops and were
able to bring more men in the
field here than we could and the
50000 which the President has
called for is to counter-balance
their conscripts. but the calculation
is now I think to capture them
here or get whipped in the trial
which last result I think is not
at all probable. Father thinks the
war is used too much as an
[aboliting?] instrument but I think
not. there is no one that can
deny the right of confiscating the
property of an enemy and why should
not the property of the leaders of this
rebellion be used as the property of
enemy's for they are not only enemys
but traitors to their country. Now
if property is to be confiscated &
they claim their slaves as property
I can see no reason why the Government
has not a perfect right to take them
and do with them what she pleases
besides this they are used to construct
	     dig
forts and build intrenchments for their
troops and the law respecting [?]
says that any one acting aiding in
any way, either by personal service or
with his property this rebellion his

    property shall be confiscated and
turned over to the general Government
now it is just as bad and a
good deal was to send 20 or thirty
slaves to the assistance of the rebels
as it would be to go and fight in
the ranks, so if they call their
slaves property I see no other way
then that they will be freed, I mean
those that belong to men of secession
planters how it will be done with
the others remains to be seen
but I will say no more on this subject
There has been a quite a quantity of
firing to day and yesterday and I
have just heard that the rebel
General Lee has been taken
prisoner. I shall have to
send this letter without, paying
the postage for I cannot find a
stamp any where to be sold and
there is no office here that I can
pay the money, if you can please
send me half a dozen stamps
and I will send you the money
for them as soon as we are paid
off  Nothing more      Write Soon
		Yours as ever J H Wheeler