[Written upside down on top and around side of Scan 1]

Please except this with my much Love to My Dear Mother & Sister
I suppose I must write a letter to Sarah Yours Affectionately
                                                                                                  B Frank Marsh Washington DC

[End]

[Written to the side of location/date on top of Scan 1]

Wensday 25th
Well Mother we recd mail again
today I recd one from you mailed May 16th
I was very glad to hear from you

[End]

	VI. [illegible] 8th Mich. Camp Kettle Brigade
							Rives. Virginnia
							May 24th 1864
My.    Dear Mother & Sister! Neighbors [illegible] =====
		B. Frank. is all Sound yet with the exceptions
of a little touch of the (dumps) a bad head ache pain in
left side. Virginnia [quickseps?] etc. but I am so as to get around
and hold my position. (or at least the ground I cover
I am very thankfull that I am as well as I am for this
is a poor plase for a sick man. we have ben marching
for the last three days. and your humble Survent was
abliged to call for a ride in the Ambulance for the second
time since I have ben in the Army. [illegible] I couldnt
have got along if they would have let me taken my time
but every man was required to keep up with 
his Regt and I thought I had as good right to side as some
of our (Commissioned Officers or Whiskey tubs, so I called
for a ticket. I saw some Officers in the train so drunk
they could not keep up so they road in the Ambulance
and some of the Privates that wer sick had to walk
it is all very nice to send Whiskey into the Army to
be Issued to the Soldiers when they are on duty night
and day, marching Fighting and chging Rifle Pitt.
but Still nicer to give the Officers all they want so
as to make them Brave in a fight. as our Colonel was
the day he was taken Prisoner at the Battle of the
Wilderness. Oh, yes it is a big thing on ice in the Summer!

it was not our place to take the front that day as we
wer on reserve with two lines of Battle in front of us
but our Col got so drunk when the others line was
ordered forward he ordered us forward and we
passed through the other two lines and drove the Rebs
out of three lines of Pitts. advanced about half an mile
without any support and he stayed behind a big tree
and let us go but an (Aid) on [illegible] Staff came
in and ordered us to hault telling us we would get
flanked and taken Prisoners if we went any further
and it was all true for in a few moments we
saw a line of Rebs comeing down on our left
flank at a right Shoulder shift arms marching as
fast as they could. and the order was given to about
face and retreat so we started every man for himself
and the Rebs fur us all. as soon as we turned they
began to fire on us. and you-d better believe we made
sume big time especially the subscribers I had my
Knapsack on as well as all the other Boys and many of
them threw theirs but as I had all my hard tack
for four days to [come?] I could not spare that I thought
I would go with my rations. but the rations went
with me and came out all safe. I looked around
several times and saw the Johnnies close after me
telling us to Sureender. but we thought areselves as
good on a race as they wer so we could not see the
point when we got the Regt together we found the
Col was not to be found. also many others we lost
four from our Company among whom was my Old 

[Written on side of Scan 2]

Please Remember me to all my Friends around Home tell Mr Terey I wish he could
                                                                                hear the noise we get into here

[End]

and well tried Friend DeWitt Spaulding. it seems as if
I had lost my best friend. or a Brother. I tried to go back
over the ground and look for him but the Johnnies.
wer in the Pitts again and would not allow us to go
so we have never learned their fate, but I do not
think they wer Killed for the same Regt of Rebs wer
fighting against us again near Spottsylvania Court
House and we took some of them Prisoners they
said they took our Col. and a number of others in
that fight and they said the Col was [saucy?] to them
and they shot him. but we dont hardly believe them
still it may be true for he was so drunk he did
not hardly know what he was doing. I dont
wish him any harm but I am like the Old
Quaker. that saw a mad dog, he says I.ll not hurt
thee but I.ll give thee a bad name so he began to
cry mad Dog, and soon the Dog was shot. I dont wish
him any harm but I never want him to come
to the Regt again. but I hope the other Boys will all come
out safe but time must tell as to that,
Well Mother I dont know when I shall get a chance to send
this but I thought I would write and have it ready if I
saw any way to get it out. last Friday night we got a
large mail and Oh how happy I was to find that a
goodly share of them was for the [Sub?] – ) I recd six,
and good news in all. but the one from Alvah. he
was well. but he said George Hull of our company was
Dead and Miles. was in very Poor health and transferred 
to State Hospital I am glad he has got into his own state

for I think he will get better care. I believe all of
the Fenton Boys that are with us are well. Aut Terey
seems to stand a Soldiers life now since his sickness
first-rate Our Boys are all very tired and worn out with
hard Duty. – but I hope we will soon get whare we can
get some rest if we succeed in routing Old Lee from his
Position here on this River. and everything looks very
favorable now we have ben shelling them all day at
a short range and they have not made much
reply as yet. our forces are across the river Gen Hancock
with the second Corpse on our right and is working
around in their left flank. then we have another
corpse crossing on our left so I think [Mr Johnies?]
will have to get up and Scadaddle soon. this is a
poor place to write for thare is such a roar of Artillery
I am only a little way from our guns and I am so weak
and [Nurveous?] I cannot write a steady hand but I
can read a letter in a vey noisey place so I thought I
would try to write one thinking you would be anxious to
hear from me again. Our Division received Orders to cruss
the River about Noon and so I left the Company and
joined the Kettle Brigade as we call our cooks for I am not
able to go with my company yet. I cannot stand the hot sun
ever since the 12th of this month the day we recrossed
the little stream where we had our second fight we lay in
                      some time
line of Battle ^ about Noon in a Plowed cornfield and
it was very warm. then we marched off very fast about
half a mile and I was so overcome with the heat I could
not get up alone some of the Boys helped me up and I marched 
a little ways and fell down and they left me since that
if I get out in the hot sun I have a bad pain in my
head and get dizzy and blind if I cannot get in the shade
So I dare not venture out in the hot sun much, and
My Captain is very good to excuse me for he knows I have
always tried to do my duty like a true Soldier and he says
when I play out he knows thare is some trouble with
me some where. for I so seldom get excused for anything
Our Captain is acting Major and I am afraid we shall loose
him from our co. well Mother I have filled this sheet but I dont
know how it reads for I cannot read half of it I dont believe
                     so I shall send it without looking it over if you find


[Written on the side and top of Scan 4]

any very big blunders Please excuse them and I will lay it all to the confusion
of our Big Gun's

[End]