"Eseck G. Wilber letter to his parents, William and Clarissa Wilber." (1863) Rice University: https://hdl.handle.net/1911/92567.

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July 28th, 1863
Camp near Warington City VA
Kind and remembered Parents
I have just received A letter from you and
I was very glad to hear that you was
well I have not heard from you before in A
great while Father wrote the last letter that
I have had ; we have not had A male before
since we was on this side of the Potomac
but we shall get it Pritty regular now I
think ; the letter that you wrote to Nelson
he got to day I took it for him and I know
as soon as I see it that it was from you
and I thought right away that [[crossed out]]
you had not got my letters and shure
enough you had not I wrote A letter to
you when I was at Emits burge and I wrote
one on the road and put it in at roarsville
in Maryland and I wrote one thee 2 of
this month so you see that I have wrote
enough but for some reason you have
not got them I give some of them to

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citisens at Places along the road
that was the only way that any of us had
to send letters so we done it; they have
eather never put them in or else they
have been miscaried you may get them
yet if you do let me know I think that it
will be so that the mail will go more regular
after this ; our Brigade has been in
another fight since the Battle of Getysburge
they have had a fight at Manassas Gap
and whiped the rebles there badly but we
lost about 300 in the Brigade in killed
and wounded our Brigadear General was
wounded they drove them half A mile at the
point of the bayonet it was one of the
hansomest charges that has ever been
made; our regment was sent on Picket
in the morning as the Brigade got in the
fight in the afternoon so we did not get
in it was A luckey hit for us I tell you
we heard them fighting and expected evry
minute to get orders to join our Brigade
but fortunately we escaped and there

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was none of us sory I tell you; we had A
very good time on Picket our regment killed
over 30 fat sheep that belonged to the seesesh
and 3 calves so you see we had plenty of
fresh meat. we are down on seeseshion
and if we want any such thing we take
it if it belongs to sesesh the man that
had the calves owned right out that he
was A sesesh and we had him under
A guard to keep him from runing into
the reble lines and leting them know how
we were situated; we took the calves out of
his barn before him it looked tough
but if he will be A reb he must take the
consequences we will have our pay for
what they stole in Pensilvania and Maryland
I cut one calves throat and [[crossed out]] helped
Butcher it and had one quarter for my
part I took what I wanted and divided
the rest with the boys I cooked mine
that night and it lasted me most 3
days my rations that I drawed I kept
so I had so much a head and I have

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had 6 or 7 messes of new potatoes
to and blackberyes to newmerous to
mention ; we are camped in the woods
here resting and getting new clothes
and I hear we are to be paid here but
I do not know wether it is so or not
the copperheads up there need not whine
for they have got to come it now there
has been 6 men and 2 officers detailed
out of evry regment in our corps to go
after drafted men Lieutenent Everett
went out of out company they all took
their Guns and Equipments with them
tell Mr finch that if he is drafted he had
better take it cool or he may find himself
coming down here with a baonett behind
his ass ; you say you should thought I
could not stand it when captain
Barker fell it was enoug for me but
A fellow in my place will get
used to such things as that it
looks very hard to see any one fall
but it cant be helped it must
be; our regment is going to be

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filled up full again with drafted men
I think it will do them no good to
stand out about it it will only make the
matter worse and they will have to
come after all and I think they are
no better to come here then I am they
was very fast for setting some
one else to come now let them
come themselves; I am glad that
Father is going to change with John
and I hope he will be able to get along
without hireing much we have got
the Rebs over in the Shanandoah
Valey yet and wether they will get
out or not I do not know, where we
shall go from here I do not know
now I gues that I have wrote all
that I have to write this time
so I will close and bid you good bye
tell trumy that I was glad to have
him write to me and kiss him
and Hetty for me when you write
again you may send me a little

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thread in the letter you need not
send A great deal; I got the
stamps you sent me now I
will close and bid you A kind
farewell this from your Son
Eseck G Wilber
write as soon as you can
Direct the same as you have

I have got that little needle case
that you gave me when I started
needles and all and that little
testiment to
I am well at present
as ever I was