Augusta County: Adam Wise Kersh to George P. Kersh,
October 20, 1861
Summary:
Kersh provides news of fighting around the Greenbrier River in Virginia.
George P. Kersh
October 20th, 1861
Allegheny Mountains, Pocohontas County, VA
Dear Brother
Sir I Received your letter on the 15th and was glad to hear from you all at home but sorry to hear that you have a sore hand again you stated in your letter that if I needed any thing to write I would like to have a pair of winter Boots Harvey Fry wrote a few lines to John Plecker to have a pair made for himself and me we have not received any answer yet if you will see him you would know if he can make them or not he has my Measure for fine boots I suppose he could guess at and make the allowance I want them made tolerable large if he can make them I would like for you to see him soon if he cant make them maybe you could get me a pair some where else We can draw as many shoes as we want but no boots as we expect to make our winter quarters here I would like to have a good pair of boots I have a pair of buckskin gloves in my over coat pocket upstairs you might send along if you will as I think I will need them here this winter in the mountains Fry and me had intended to have our things sent together here maybe you can fix it that they can be sent together that is all I want sent now we got our blankets the other day and expect our overcoats in a few days we are making preparations to stay here this winter we intend building log cabins to stay in this winter we have also made preparations to fortify we have cut down about a hundred and fifty acres of timber along the greenbank road we intend having a battery on that road we look for Captain Millers cannon here in a few days he is drilling his men very day here the artillery drill he has two pieces of wooden cannon here they go through the operation of loading and firing and so on he has one stationed on an old stump and one on an old two wheeled wagon he picked up out here with one fore and one hind wheel on I was it is about eight or nine miles from here to Greenbriar river I and some of the boys was down at the river last Sunday looking around we seen where the cannon balls had struck about in places that house on the river bank close where the Churchville Cavalry were encamped had ten cannon balls shot through it and the tents where the cavalry stayed in had cannon balls shot through them and a great many of the tents throughout the encampment on the hill had balls shot through six pounders were used the Yankees fired a great many shots but did not do much damage. they fired three times as many shots as our men did our men are well fixed at Greenbriar river now a getting better fixed every day they have three batteries there now they are blockading and fortifying all about there the news come yesterday morning for us to be in readiness at a minutes warning that the Yankees were crossing Greenbriar river our men seemed very anxious for a fight were ready right off we waited in suspense till towards evening the news come that the pickets had a fight amongst them that one of our men was shot in the calf of the leg and five or six Yankees were killed that is all. I know about the fight the most of our men seem to think that they will hardly attack us at Greenbrier river any more than they are trying to slip around towards Petersburg or some place else I got the word that Mother sent me too that if I needed anything to write I have plenty in the way of cloths I have three pair of good pants four shirts four pair of good socks fatigue shirt and 2 uniform coats. boots and gloves is all I want now. we have two good blankets apiece and expect our overcoats every day I think we can keep from freezing any how if we stay here this winter I am well and hope these few lines may find you all enjoying the same state of health Jacob Harvey is well Junius Craun and Adam Craun have the mumps David Landes has been right sick getting better and some more of the boys sick with bowel complaints and mumps colds measles and so on in our company
Yours Respectfully
Adam W Kersh
