Transcription

                Washington June 17th 62

Dear Father

                 It has been a long

time since I have heard from ho you

I do not know why  I have not I think

I wrote you two letters while we were on the

advance or on the Paninsula. you see by the

heading of this letter that We are not in

the field now we went within eight miles

or richmond or to White house landing

and then our term of detachment run out

and the men would not serve in in that

branch (infantry) of the service any longer for they

put us under regular officers and our officers

kept back out of harms way and that did not

go down verry well we came prety near beng

mustered out out of service as cowards on account

of some of our Col lies prove that we had not

played the coward  I will tell you what Col

Hunt told Gen Palmer.  Said he those men

(speaking of us volunteers) have been shame fully

a bused for being reported as cowards for they are

not cowards nor did they prove themselves so

in action at Willians Burg they were the best

men I had there  I should have lost my