In Camp near Alexandria VA
   May 21st /65
Dear Wife and Children It is with
Pleashure that I Seat myself to Drop 
you a fiew Lines to Let you know that
I am well and I hope this will find
you all the Same I Got 2 Letters from
you Since I Got hear and was Sor
ry to hear that Mothers Leg was So
mutch Worse then it has been and I wish
She had tryed what I told her too
when I was at Goldsboro She Could
have got the medison of Dr Atkins
and it woould not have Cost more
then 2 Shillings and I had hoped
that if She went to Dr Randel that
he could help her but if She Cant
bare to put aney thing on it because
it hurts why their cant aney One
to her aney Good if She wants to Get
well She will have to Docter that
Leg and if she puts Medison on it it

will hurt I warrant you but I
hope I Shall be at home before Long
by all I can Learn I think we will
all be at home by the Midle of next
Month and then we will See what
Can be Don with that Leg we are
about 8 miles from Washington
Citty now we had Some of the hardest
marching to this place that we Ever
had as the weather was verry hot
and men Draped Down by the way
Side and Died a mans Life is of
Little account in the army yesterday
I Seen Rufe Cole Horice Perkins
Samey Dains P Fisher and One of
Perrys Boys thay are all well [harve?]
says if his folks want to hear from 
him thay will have to send him
some thing to Write on as he hant got
aney thing to Get aney with Mr
Porter Sends his best Respects to you
all and hopes to be able to come home
with me he wanted me to tell

frank that he woould bring
home a Revolver and that woould
be anough for boath of them Deak
is well and So are the rest of the
boys I am glad that you Like that
Chain and tell Maty I will have
to Bring her some thing when he
comes home and now I will have
to Close for this time Hatt you
Said that you had Got a Letter from
Deek and you had Answered it and
then you wanted to know what I
thought about it Why you will
have to tell me What he Said
before I Can tell you what I
think about it but i will have
to Close by biding you all Good
by for this time you hadent better
Write again after you Get this till
you hear from me again if aney
thing happenes I will Write again
So Good By Wife and Hatty and
the rest of the children  OG Dunckel