My Dear Creek

As Mr Sherrard starts for home in the morning

I avail myself of the opportunity of writing you by him,

I received yours of the 25th inst yesterday, and was very happy

to hear that you were all well when it left, I am sorry that

I have not been able to write you as often as usual lately, since

we moved here, the mails have been very iregular, we being

about 14 miles from Manassas Junction, and owing to

the great ammount of rainy weather we have had

lately the roads have been almost impassable so

that we have not had the same opportunity of mailing

them, but we have now got the cars runing within

four miles of us, at Fairfax Station and can get them

mailed every day which is a great conveniance to us,

this however is the third or fourth letter (I dont recollect

which) I have written you since Stoneman started, one of them

I sent by Col. Taylor of Pendleton, the others I mailed, I

also wrote one to Jink and sent by mail, I hope you have

got them all by this as I know you are anxious to hear

from me, I can tell this by myself for when the mail

comes to camp I cant help going to see if their is not one

from you for me, although I may have olny got one

the day before, you dont know how eagerly I read your

letters, over and over and when they are several days old

I will read them again, and when we are ordered to

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March in hope of meeting the enemy it always makes

me cry to have to tear them all up, we all make a rule of

this for fear any of them might fall into the hands of

the Yankees, and give them information which ought to [be]

kept from them, but for this I would bring them all back

home with me, I believe I wrote you in my last that I

had recieved the bundle, which you sent by warren it got

here some days before him, he being detained at Culpeper

as he says on account of sickness and a sore thumb

which he got mashed coming on, I am very sorry to say

that he is still the same old man yet, he has scarcely

drawn a sober breath since he came back here, where he

gets Liquor I cant tell, I thought the untimely death

of his brother and the dreadful Battle he has come

through would have made a different impression on

him but it is not the case, and, I am afraid there is

no hope for him, do not make this public about

Anderson as it might tend to hurt the feelings of

Jam’s Widow.

Their is nothing of interest going on here at present every thing

is quiet, the health of the Regt. is any thing but good yes,

you need have no apprehension of my taking measels as

I have had them, and small pox, both, should little

Maggie take them, you must be very careful of her, for it

would kill me if anything was to happen her, I must close

as I have to go to duty all night and will not be back to camp

before morning, Adieu dear Creek May heavens richest

Blessings rest on you, think of your affectionate Husband

William

[William Anderson, 4th Regiment South Carolina Volunteers (Palmetto Sharpshooters)

MSS 10366