August the 7, 1861
Yorktown, Va.
Dear Brother,
I again take the
opportunity of Trying to Rite to you
to let you know that I Received your
kind and loving letter in dew Time
and was glad To here from you all and
here that you was all well. I would
have Rote soner But I have bin sick
for 3 weekes & was very low. When
I Received your leter & I am bad
of yet But I do hope and pray that I
may git well And live to return To my
desolate famley onst More. there is
about half of our Company sick at
this time and some of them is Bad of.
there was One of our
Company departed this life last
knight And it is to Be hoped that he
is gone to rest where there will be
no Battles to fight nor no lamenting
to git home But where all is Well. he
was a young Man by the name of
harrison avry a son of James avrys
And I think he was a good boy &
herd some of our men Say this morning
that they thought he was prepared To
dye. as To fiting We hant had nary
battle sense the battle at Bethel
Church. all of our men has Gone down
there know But our ridgment gineral Mcgrooder
has tuck 10 thousand men down there
And is agoing to attact newport news.
this is The Morning that
he was to Make the attact But we hant herd from
them to day. it will be asevear
attact for they ar
well fortyfide there I think our men
will tak it But
they will lose many of ther men. [p1]
they left here the other day with
John and Brach hmhills Brother. he
dyde here and they tuck him home. I
want you to give John hemphill houdy
for me. tell him that I would be glad
To Se him. tell old ant Cate hemphill
houdy for me. I am so weake that I
Cant hardley setup to Rite But I will
try to give you alittle histry of the
battle. At Manases Junction on sunday
the 20 of July they had apourful
Battle there. they fit one hole day.
they only kiled about 5 hundred of
our men and wonded about 4 or
5 thousand. our men kiled 7 or 8
thousand of the yankes & wonded
15 or 18 thousand of them. We whipt
them Badley and tuck everything they
had. the say when they did Retrete
that they run over one another &
women & Children and kiled lots
of them selves. I supose the like
never was knowd in the world. our men
got about 70 peaces of Canon & 20
thousand stand of armes And 500
wagons & teames besides thousands
of other things. they say what they
got from the Enemy was worth one
Million & ahalf of dollars. If I
made no mistake in reding your letter
I think that you said that mother
said if she had Somebody to Come with
her that she would Come To se me. I
would give this hold world if I Could
Just se her Coming But that I never
expect to Se. tell My Dear old mother
houdy for me. if I Could se her this
morning I dont know what I would
give. I still try to pray that I may.
[p.2] live to git home onst more to
se you all But it is doutful about
that .tell Mr Walker that I send him
houdy and my best love &
Respects. tell him to Remember me in
all of his prays give Mrs Satterwhite
and famley houdy for me and all
inquirn friends. tell Gorge &
gemima houdy for me. tell them that I
think they Might Rite to me I would
rite to them But I so mutch riting to
do for our boys that I hant got the
Chance. tell mr alen that I hant
forgot what I ow him & if I live
to git back I will pay him. give him
my respects. Columbus & Joseph
Williams is well. it mity Bad to be
sick here for there Is nothing to
eate that asick man Can eat. We ar
looking for thomas walten &
others here today. mary Rote to me
that she was going to send me abox of
Aples & Cucumbers & unions.
she would send me Somthing that I
Could eat But she hant the Money to
git it with. nor I Cant no money to
send To her. We hant got no Cent of
our wagers yet they Ow us about -----
dollars each. know if could some of
it we Could by somthing that we Could
eat here But it would be hye to pay
ther prices. Afew lines to Marthy. it
made proud to think that you put up
your potisions in my behalf Marthy. I
do hope and pray that they wer herd
and ansurd in haven. I also try to
pray for you all as well as I know
how there is aheep of wekeedness
going on here. But thank God I never
have have pertuck with none of it nor
I never intend to as long as I live
[p.3] let that be long or short. I
want you to beshure to Rite sone as
this Comes to hand. If we should live
to se that time Role Round. We will
be disbanded the 13 of november in
Raleigh.
So nothing more at
present only Remanes.
your loving Brother till Death,
So farwell Peter
Poteet To F. M. Poteet And famley
Mother and all inquines friends [p.4]
Peter Poteet to F. M.
Poteet And family and Mother Brothers
& Cister. May the Lord bles &
save us all is my Prays amen. [p.4]
