Augusta: William Brand to Kate Armentrout, May 29,
1862
Summary:
William describes his Brigade's movements in the Valley, recent battles, and
their reception in Charlestown, (West) Virginia.
Miss Amanda C. Armentrout
Greenville
Augusta Co
Va
May 29th 1862
Campt near Charlestown Va
Dear Kate
I recieved your kind letter some time ago I suppose
you think I have forgotten you entirely as I have been so long in answering your
letter. Indeed we have hardly had time to wash our cloths for the past two months. You seemed to think when you wrote to me
last that the Valley was almost gon but thanks to
Almighty God we have been able to drive them out thare
is some in Harpers ferry yet we attacked them on the 23rd & have been
fighting less or more evry day since. We have entirely
routed [unclear: Banke] Army. I think that we have taken about 3
thousand Prisoners
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all thare
Bagage & governmint stores our Brigade was ordered to Charlestown yesterday. We
left Winchester early in the morning & marched eighteen miles by the
middle of the day the enimy
ware drawn up in line of battle & opened fire on
our skirmishers we run up four or five pieces of artilery & fired on them. Thay fired
five times & commenced retreating throwing of
thare
blanketts canteens & hapersacks. We run them for four or five miles the boys say we run
them into thare den in the ferry. We captured fifteen
prisoners thay fired some large guns this morning. We
could see the smoke thay seemed to be on the Virginia
hights & the hills of Boliven. I exspect we will we will march on them this evening as
two more brigads came down this morning.
I never seen people so rejoiced as we come in one end of Charlestown & the enimy going out ove the other the peoppe Chereed us & told us that thare doors ware open & ready to recieve us the ladies asked us why we did hollow we told them it was against orders, thay said we wee will doo the hollowing & your all will doo the fighting. The citisans kept asking whare was Jakson we told them we left him in Winchester we cheered Gen. Winder yesterday for the first time the men do not like him much because he is so strict. The merchants have a full stock of Good & sell them cheep I think coffee is a [illeg.] per lb. sugar[deleted: s] the same thare is plenty of all kinds of Goods.
I must bring my letter to a
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close as we have orders to moove. My health is not very good at presant
[deleted: but] on account of a very bad cold. I hope this may find you
enjoing the blessings of health
nothing more but remain your true & untireing friend
WFB
P.S. you will please write soon
