Augusta County: Adam Wise Kersh to George P. Kersh,
October 14, 1862
Summary:
Kersh talks about replacing himself with a substitute soldier and reports on new
enlistments arriving in camp.
George P. Kersh
October 14, 1862
Camp Bunkershill, Frederick County, VA
Dear Brother
I take this opportunity to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope these few lines may find you enjoying the same blessing. I wrote you a few lines on the 4th the day after I arrived. I dont know if you received them or not. I am still in the notion of having a substitute put in if you or Warner can get one. if you or him have not time to attend to getting one you might get some one else to attend to it. We are still in the same old camp that they were when I arrived here. I dont know when we will leave here. we may soon and we may not. Our Camp is 12 miles below Winchester. They say that our Cavalry Pickets are as far as the Potomac and the Yankee Picket are across in Maryland. our boys are not very keen to go back to Maryland. they said it is not very wholesome there. We have no tents now. some have little Yankee tents. The officers all have tents. We build little shanties and cover them with Oil cloth cedar and brush. We are Camped in the Woods. we have plenty of wood. water is little unhandy about half a mile to carry. We have troops Camped all along from here to Winchester and below us a good piece. We get plenty to eat such as it is Bull Beef and bread. Some of the boys are barefooted in our regiment now and their cloths are very dirty and ragged Marching so much. Which makes the confederates very bad. two of our company was wounded in the last fight at Maryland Clint Walker and William Stover not seriously. When I arrived here I found more of the Augusta Reliefs then I expected. we have about forty in our company fit for duty now.
I suppose the old fifty second numbers about five hundred men now. Conscripts are still coming in.
I and Frank Arey took a walk to Carpenters Battery last Sunday. We saw Bill Arey George Myers Joe Hawkings and Harve Whitmore. there all well. Front there we went to the fifth regiment. there I saw George Frame David Craun John Sheets some of the Rells and Hansbergers and others. We then went to the tenth and who did meet but Tom Jones and a whole lot of the Bridgewater boys. Tom tried to get in a Cavalry Co. but could not. he is trying to get in some Battery now. he said he saw Rhaney and talked to him about Steve's hat. Chaney said he did not know that Glen had it till they got half way to camp and that he wanted him to take it back. We belong to Earleys Brigade Enells Division. General Jackson's Quarters is about a mile from our Camp. I have not saw him yet. Two men in the forty forth took a notion to fight. they went out side of the guard. One said he was in for fighting fair. the other had his cartridge box on ran up to him and stabbed him twice with bayonet and left. the man he stabbed lived about a day and a half and died.
As I have nothing worth writing about I will close. Old Jacob Sheets and Phil sheets are ready to leave and I want to send my letter with them. I want you to write to me. direct your letter as you did before except Harman instead of Baldwin.
I want you to write to me. direct your letter as you did before except Harman instead of Baldwin.
Yours Respectfully
Adam W Kersh
