Willard Templeton Letters

Saturday the 15 2 PM Two miles further on towards Richmond about half way between Warrenton & Faettsville We are now waiting on a wide open field here our troops in large numbers tremendous long baggage trains trains of artillery & Cavelry &tc I have a chance to see what a great army is advancing towards Richmond fully 200000 men are within 10 miles of us. I learn that the Rebs appeared only in a small force probably [???] dying to capture some of our baggage I learn by those who have been where the shells struck that the Rebs fired Rail Road iron & shell one shell struck within two rods of an ambulance in which was the Capt. brother [Ziba???] Cogswell. In fact I guess the Rebs can't attck us anywhere except they find us in large Numbers. The weather has been very warm & pleasant since the snow storm the roads so [????]

a letter from her to learn what is going on at the city of [?] We are anciously waiting the desicive turn of affairs at Vicksburg the last accounts are that Grant would probably capture the place before many days but we wait & hope hardly daring to hope for there seems to be somebody always ready to blunder & turn a victory into a defeat I suppose John Le. [Lyminds?] has seen pretty tough fighting I wrote him 10 days ago I hope he has come out right Did I understand you that the 16th [day?] were not coming home till 20th July guess they arent [hay?] much this year tell [Nat. Gaylor?] guess I shant get home to [hay?] for him this season have got to squeeze out this rebellion first We are doing it last [?] we occasionly make an advance of 10 miles

Suppose Emma is now in H so I send there a ring I made for her out of bone please write if it fit her finger I hope she will have a goot time suppose she will go to school it will be a good chance as Jennie keeps tell her she must run out doors a lot + dig in the dirt then she will tough What does Mrs Black think of Old Hillboro She thought it a right smart rocky hole I reckon Tell Jim Sawyer & Geo Bumrill should be happy to receive letters from them If clerks can't write I don't know who can June 1st it is a lovely day the wind is cool + it is delightful writing in the shade have plenty of stamps fpr the present I wish you could get Emma's Fathers + Mothers pictures + send to me write as soon as you get this From your affectionate son brother W. J. Templeton

to-morrow a Rail Road train Pass us perhaps bring us some supplys We have a little hard bread and pork and to-night we have bacon for our eatables to-morrow which is nice. We are stearing right for Richmond. We got to-days Washington Cronical it contains good news that is that our advance is made in such a way as to dance the Rebels from Richmond Downhill them to fight 200000 men on home Richmond to its fate the more I see of the movements of our army the more I think Ironside is the man we shall make no retreats this time I respect to him Richmond in less than a month [illegible] pass by the [illegible] you get this letter we shall be there. You have no idea how desolate this country is I have not seen any even to-day. I look in vain at evry apple tree for the least sign of an apple I dont think it possible to find an ear of corn anywhere round our camp. It is a magnificent night to stand on our Camp ground and look

North or South East or West as far as the eye can reach and you can see nothing but the Camp fires of troops I guess you will think this a dull letter I have commenced to write this five or six times and would just get fairly at it when orders would come to [illegible] I want you to get some things ready so as to send a box to me when I write for it If the Hillstone folks and you can put in with them but as long as we move at this rate we can't get [illegible] I guess the rebels have got all my my letters. I do want to hear from home very much don't wait for me to write write often The mail goes out early to-morrow early I will put this in. I hope this letter will find you enjoying as good health as myself. Your [illegible] [illegible]

Tell [Trunkey?] I hope by the time he gets big enough there will be no rebels [illegible] shoot but if there is he will be just the boy to shoot them. Tell Emma I would like to have her and me writing & I will try & send here something in my next letter. James I [illegible] go to Hillsboro I want you to look after my [illegible] money Mary writes me that there is two months that they have recived a receipt [Trba?] Wood says he has lost $[90?] of his alotment I would like to have you & Father look after mine & know when it has come and if not see to it

Please explain it to me in your next letter. I send a few flowers to Emma which I have gathered from the garden back of the house on the hill where we surprised the rebs on the morning of the 17th.

Did you get a letter I sent you while at Annapolis containing an ambrotype? Please write wheth er youd or not. I am glad to hear the sound of thunder I think we are to have a good shower

But I must close this as the mail goes now.

Love to all the family [illegible]

Sunday June 27

I neglected closing my [illegible] to the mail [carrier?] by that means or enabled to [illegible] of your letter of June 22 I was very glad to hear from you I have not heard from home since June 18th but from a letter [illegible] [illegible] -ing here perhap you may see it if you go to Hillsboro I expect my next letter from you will be from H. Please write often Tell Emma I was greatly pleased with her letter. It was well done & I expect it will not be long before she can write a nice letter. I am trying to [misgive?] [illegible] a boy Franky has got to be & dear Emma you too have grown taller & larger I take out of my [illegible] chin your & Franky's pictures I imagine how 8 months has changed you. I am glad of my letters interest you what I write as having seen myself you can depend on sometimes [illegible] I have been deceived with rumors

Well I have written one sheet and nothing else to do but write another. We have been here in the woods two days yesterday there was skirmishing going on near [illegible] brigade had orders to be ready to march at a moments notice, yesterday afternoon there are four batteries in sight of us they are all [hamerred?] up waiting for the order to move forward.

Frank Dutton is well a tough he has lost some flesh lately.

I guess we go back when we do move for 4000 cavalery passed us yesterday, the 8th, 9th, [illegible]but 2d. Wis 3d & 4 Iowa regiments were among them. They made dust enough if it had been blown on to the rebels instead of our camp I guess it would have crushed the rebellion

[page turned upside down] I don't know as you can read my letters I write in a hurry amidst a great many disterbances Please write if [illegible] Harriman call on way

I learn (I know not how true) that Grant has stolen this job out of us that Burnside has ordered us back some time ago

Some of the [Cavelery?] yesterday asked us if we were going back to Ky. this way. pointing north east

I guess before this letter [illegible] [NH?] We are sailing north for Johnson has retreated I don't know of much more to write. I guess I must stop & go to cleaning my gun so if we do get into a shooting scrape it will be [illegible] go. I have a grand good rifle I find it carries a ball staight to the mark & the ball will bore into a hard tree several inches. If any thing of interest in NH. papers about the [9th?] please send to me I send you a paper James sent me It will cost but one [cts?] to try the experiment. Emma eat a lot of strawberries for me

[page turned upside down] and I will eat a big lot of blackberries for you.

Willard

It is planly to be seen that the negrows regard us as friends they always meet us with a smile while many white peopl look upon us as no better than the slaves there are but of us who loth their sentiments most of them prefer to keep quiet & treat well for they know no wot be to their pigs turkeys & chickins if they treat us [illegible] notwithstanding General's orders. We ask the slaves if their masters are [sicish?] they generally say "Don no sir call himself union I reckon". We ask him what he says & does when the rebs come here. "Oh he right smort mad than he right runs away as tight as he can [ling?] her." We conclude his master is union. You would laught to see how they talk and act. The greatest fun for us is to get them to singing. Here is a little [illegible] rhyme sentence

[page turned upside down] If I had my sewing machine which is in [NE?] (the one that sews over and over) I could hem it