Camp Magruder
August 30, 1861
 
Dear Sister,
 
As I am complaining a little with the tooth ache and exempted from duty. I shall attempt to write you a few lines in answer to your kind epistle. This leaves me in very good health. S. A. Hood is improving, he is getting so he can tromp about the camp on his leg. I think will be well in a few weeks. Mr. Ball, the young man of our company died on last Monday in the hospital at Williamsburg. His disease was typhoid fever only lived a week after he was taken sick. We have two others who are sick in the hospital with the same disease, Dr. Dickenson and Mr. Luck. They are both thought to be improving. The rest of the company are in tolerable good health and for myself, I believe my health is as good as it ever has been. I have not been sick a day only from cold since I left home. So you need not be uneasy in regard to my health. Well, Lizzie I will give you a sketch of our Mess in cooking, each one has his own part to do. The boys generally put the baking of the bread on me. The others will make out the bisquet, frie the meat and make coffee. After it is prepared, it is then placed on the table. which is made of two planks. The signal for breakfast is given as for either meal. I assure you it is not long before we are all eating and we enjoy the food we live on here as well as you do all the luxuries you have. Ours is plain but we have fine appetites which makes it eat very well; I have mist the nice peaches and watermellons more than anything else. We have had a few melons by paying extravagant prices. We pay from 25 cents to 1.00 a piece for them which is too costly for a soldier to buy every other vegitable sell at the same proportion. There was some sweet potatoes brought into camp yesterday the first I have seen. They asked $1.50 per bushel. Peaches I have only et one. Garden vegetables we never get any except some cabage and arrish potatoes which we sent to Richmond for. On yesterday morning there was an alarm given in camp that the Yankees were about to make an expedition from Fortress Monroe with a large Navel force. We received marching orders from headquarters to march on down the peninsula until we met them. We cooked our days allowance, packed up our knapsacks and in a short time we were ready to make the march. The long role was broken and in a few minutes the regiment was formed into line. We marched a few hundred yards and met a mesinger stating that the orders were countermanded and that the Yankees had gone Southward. We were then marched into camp and resumed our regular camp duties.
 
Lizzie our company was marched on to Williamsburg the day that Bull was buried. We created a great deal of excitement. The whole streets were crowded with men, women, and children that turned out to see our company drill. Our regiment has the name of being the best drilled on the peninsula and our company the best in the regiment. So you see that the Vernon Guards as Soldiers stands very high in the estimation of this business. You will please excuse me for writing this kind of a letter. I had no news and thinking you would like very well to hear from me if it was only to hear that I was well. I concluded to write you something. Ask mother if she has forgotton how to write or why it is that she does not write.
 
Your affectionate Brother 
Wint