Winchester Virginia October 5th 1863 Mr. E. D. Davis Dear Brother I take my precious hand this Blessed Sabbath day to inform you that I am not in verry good health at present but I hope those Lives away find you & family well. I have nothing Interesting to write at present Only we are resting a little from the heavy duties of a soldiers Life at Present after some of the hardest marching and heaviest lighting that any set of men Ever done on this continent But the God of battles has so far brought us through safe. I suppose you have all heard that we have Been in Maryland we Crossed the Potomace On the 8th Sept marched as far as Frederick City then we marched Back crossed to The Va side proceeded up to Harpers Ferry & the fight comminced on the 13th sept and after three days Bombardment the Yankies surrendered their whole force 11,000 men about 15,000 stands of arms ammunition and coming stores in abundance. we thus proceeded to Sharpsburg where On the 17th sept One of the Bloodiest Battles of this war took place But we gained a complete Victory but the Loss was heavy On both sides But they Lost Double the amount that we did. we then pull back across the river where we are at present as to Our future movement I can nothing from this reason that I do not Know how Long we will stay here or where we will Go when we Leave here we have Enjoyed all The hardship of a Soldiers Life since we Left N.C. we have marched day & night for weed at a time without much to Eat and Exposed to all kinds of weather. a tent is a Luxury those days that Even an officer cannot Boast of and we have Left Behind or Lost all Our clothing. Except those we have On and they have not Been washed in a month & you can Imagine how we Look But we have not finaly Given it up yet and sometimes we present Quite a daily apperance But Co ''B'' is nothing like it used to be for we have Lost some of Our Bravest and best men By sickness & yankie Bullets I received a letter from you some time Back but have not had time to answer it till now I was glad to hear you was well and you must continue to write as often as possible I can inform you that I saw Thos. Framell the Other day he & his two Brothers Belong to the 11th Ga Regt l did not see Isac Or Harrison they being sick and in the Hospital Thos. is ???? in the co. he is in I want you to see that my wife has has grain Enough to do her if you think she if not making Enough I want you to see that she Buys or you Buy for her Before it gets too high for I am afraid it is going to Be seace in that country and I want you to see that if I do not get Back that my land is cultivated Old Forny Wood was talking about it when I was at home tell him I want him to Do that. Even if I should get Back there is Land Enough for us Both to tend & Farther I want you to make two Entries one of the side of the creek next my house from my line to old Billy Watsons. The other on the Other side of the creek On the mountain running with Betty Longs Old Line with the Enderstanding that She has all on her side of the Line according to the contract Betwixt us. But first Look over the Register Books and see that none of it has Been Entered and I want you to go to Old John Loves and get a right that is there in his possession for me. So nothing more at present Only your Brother till Death - B.P. Davis

Civil War Pensioners in Jackson County

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Updated December 1998.