Camp Seigle near WinchesterVaJuly 31st 1862Dear Wife

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As I have a little time to spare I will write to you a few lines though I have not heard from you for some time and in fact from any one. The letter I recd from you at Washington being the only one I have had since we left Vermont we have recd no mail since we arrived here and I dont know as we ever will be allowed to receive anything here as Gen. Popes order does not allow of any thing being sent here from any quarter by Express or other way without it is supplies for troops. Salt Beef is also excluded and we are obliged to furnish ourselves with fresh meat and there appears to be a pleanty of cattle about the country so that we so far have had fresh meat evry day and the effect is not of the best on the men The people about here are nearly all Secesh and quite often as our boys are passing through the city the (Ladies) if so they can be called offer very insulting remarks and call them D-d Yankee invaders and tell them that Old Jackson will soon rout us out of here, but this we little fear at present and if they give us a little time we will have our position so well strengthened that they may come on

with any force and they will find some trouble in starting us. Last night we were called into line again and from the amount of firing among the pickets one would have thought they were having quite a battle We were kept in line about one hour and dismissed. When the old guard were relieved and our men came in I learned that the reason for once of the firing as some of my men were stationed at that point. Some rebel Cavalry were scouting about the country and came upon and fired into our pickets with no harm being done Our men returned the fire and one of my men (John Sabbeville of Alburgh) shot one of them from his horse but did not get the body as it was taken off by the rest of them immediately. My company are in very good condition considering the warm weather fresh meat & hard work they encounter. So far since we came here evry man has been on duty evry day unless excused by sickness I furnish about 40 men per day to work on the fortifications and evry man has to work from 6 in the morn till 11 ½ A.M. and from 2. till 7 P.M. heretofor guard duty has been considered hard but now the men are all anxious to go on guard in preference to shoveling. Day before yesterday another of my men met with an accident Augustus Bushnell of Georgia our

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Fifer while uncapping his revolver carelessly shot if off. The ball passed through his middle and fore finger right Hand and they were afterwards amputated by Surgeon Hall. He will probably get his discharge soon I am sorry to loose him as he is one of the best boys in the Regt and a good musician. I expect that Capt White will recover from his wound and be with us again in a few days I miss my milk very much now day and if I could get some of your good butter it would not be refused but we must expect to take things as they come and make the best of them. Since I wrote you last Gen Piatt has been removed and Gen White had been put in command here and I can see that things begin to change for the better. To day I have detailed two men to go with the battery and in so doing have got rid of one of the hardest cases in the company and I hope other chances will open before long for I have 2 or 3 more who I could spare as well as not and not injure the character of the Co though things go along very nicely. I would like to just step in and see you this eve but I must not even think of being at home for there is no telling what the future will reveal. Kiss the children for me often and write often and if the letters do not get to me till they are old they will do me good Give my respects to all friends.

Affectionately yours Val-

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Yesterday the celebrated Lady Rebel Spy “Bell Boyd” was captured by our cavalry about 10 miles from her She was brought into our camp and sent this morning to Martinsburgh and to Washington she will go from there She was escorted by two companys of Cavalry Val