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Mrs. Mary Heaton
Island PondVt

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March the 17. 1862VaCamp Near Bush HillDear Mother

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I now take my pen in hand to write a few lines to you I am well & hope that you are the same I enjoy my self very well now I am sitting on the ground a writing to & the sun is pourring down in great splendor on our new Camp in the woods the great Army of the Potomac has at last started as soon as our vast Army started the rebels heard of it they began to aoacuated Centervill & Mannassas they burnt & & distroyed most all of there property & hospital stores but after all our forces got hold, of one of the South Carolina regiments st Hospital stores which they hid in an old building it consisted of all kinds of delicaces that our soldiers ever

see & they found in there fortifications lots of wooden guns they found in the stream quite a large number of good guns that the Rebels threw away in there hasty flight my regiment started from Camp camp at 4 Oclo in the morning and stopt about 10 o'clock we stared in that camp 2 days & then we had orders to have 2 days raitions in our haversacks for we would have to go down the cost the day we started it rained all day & night & our cloths were wet all through to the skin it was the hardest days work that I ever saw we came through a very nice vilage where it was said that Georg Washington was married it was a splendid place before the war broke out but now most all of the nice houses are ders deserted & good many of the houses are burnt

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by the rebels the place is called Farefax court house I could see fast all of the way houses burnt by the rebels because the people were union w Island up for the old Flag there is an offul Army down on the cost it numbers 90 thousand men but god nows where the Army is a going to strike its blow I dont know of much more to write at present I may have when I write again some news to write direct your letters as you always did write soon

S. G. Heaton