Maryeland  Sept 10th /62

		Dear Mother
	        the present finds me
	well and I am very
thankfull that it does we have 
bin on a marche two days and
this morning being just two weeks
since I left my dear home and
have not heard from you yet but
I hope I shall soon and I hope
I shall hear that you are well again
it seems a long time since I
left home but I like it very
well as yet we have not got our
guns yet and I am glad of it for
we don't have them to cary on
a march. I don't know whare
we are going from here but I
think we shall go to Harpers Farey
we are about twenty four miles 

North west of Washington camped in
an open field near a beautifull
Spring of water the only place whare
we have had all the good water
we wanted, and thare is a good stream
runing close by share we can wash.
I wish you could see us wash
we go right in wholl hog as none
pull off all our clothes and sit right
down in the stream and wash
shirts, coals, pants & I wish I
could write all I can think of but
it would take a week or less now
about Will Shaw I don't know
where he is for I have not heard
from him since we left [illegible]
Alesandria he went downtown
with another Boy which was against
the rules and I suppose he got in
the guardhouse but will be with us as
soon as they findout whare they belong
and whare we are/ well Mother I was
just surprised by seeing the boys

of Johney [Ohores?] co they have just come
to join our Regt and I am happy
to see them I assure you for thare is
Clark Dibble Warren McComber & the two
Hall Boys and some others I am well
acquainted with and the 17th also has
just arrived to join our division but
I have not bin out to see if I
know any one yet for I have just
bein eating dinner some of Dewits
cooking we had sucatosh made of
some corn that we cramped as the 
boys call it when they take any
thing out here and it was very
good but not as good as Mother
used to make at home. well I must
hurry and finish this and go and
see Isac Kidney he is unwell and
in the Ambulance Wagon and I
must go and fix some dinner he
is not very sick tell his folks
I will do all I can for him & I
think he will be around in a

few days now mother you must write
and tell me if you have heard from
Alvah yet I am going to write to him
as soon as I get time we are moving
so much now I dont have much time
to write to any one but I will write
home as often as I can and you must
write often too write all the news you
can thing of we have small tents to
sleep in each one has to cary a piece
then jam them together and three
sleep in a tent yesterday we passed
through a fine Country and some of 
the nicest fields of corn I ever
saw but they dont raise any wheat
nor oats out here, now I will tell
you what I have to carry it consists of
an overcoat oil cloath blanket shirts socks
which are carried in the knapsack then
the havessack to cary our rations and
one and sometimes three days rations and
a Canteen of water/then Gun & catridge
box with forty rounds of balls which makes
quite a load for Old Frank but I am
good for it I guess for I stand it.
good yet they all think this fighting
will not last much longer for
Old Jackson says if he gits whiped
this time he is done of fighting
they will give up and we have got
men enough to eat him up but
I must close so good Bye from your son
			BF Marsh