Letter written by Henry Welch, corporal in the 123rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company K, to his uncle and aunt from Camp near Kelly's Ford, Virginia, September 15, 1863
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WASHINGTOND. C. (District of Columbia) (Washington, District of
Columbia)
SEP 21? [date
unclear]
Mr
Franklin
Tanner (Tanner, Franklin)
South. Granville (South Granville)
Washington. Co. (Washington Co.).
N.Y. (New York) (Granville, New York)
Camp near, Kelly's Ford, Va (Virginia) (Kelly's Ford, Virginia) ,
Sept. 15th, 1863, Dear Uncle (Tanner, Franklin) and Aunt (Tanner, Franklin (Mrs., Polly C.)) (Tanner, Polly C. (Mrs. Franklin Tanner)) ,
It is night
and I seat myself to pen a
few lines
to you not knowing
when I shall have another
chance to write you a
letter,
we are under order's to march
at six o'clock tomorrow
morning,
we expect to attack the rebel's
and have another battle,
we are bound to drive them
to
Richmond (Richmond,
Virginia)
dureing (during) this
campaign, Lee (Lee, Robert E.
(General)) 's army it is
thought is some weakened
by
his sending off troops to
reinforce
Bragg (Bragg, Braxton
(General)) , and Beauegard (Beauregard, G. T. (General)) ,
and it appears that
Meade (Meade, George Gordon (General))
is about to take advantage
of
Mr rebe a little and
drive him to the rebel
capitol (capital), if such is his
intentions he has got
plenty of fellows to
back him in the undertakeing (undertaking)
we will stand by him
untill (until) the last copperhead
at the north is
gone and until the last
patriot and loyal man
has refused him support,
he guided us to gain a
great victory at Gettysburg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
and now with his help we
will gain a victory in front
of Richmond (Richmond, Virginia) , I will send
you my likeness in this
letter you will see that
soldering (soldiering) has not quite
used me up yet, I never
was in better health than
at the present time,
I feel first like
marching now it is
getting late and I must
close and get some sleep.
please excuse this poor
writeing (writing) for I have written
this letter in a great hurry,
my love to you both, write
soon, good bye, from Henry (Welch, Henry) . P.S.
I would like to have
you tell
Father (Welch,
Luther) as soon
as you get this, if he has
not
sent those things not
to send them untill (until) he
hears from me again. or
until we stop our march,
please see him as soon as
you can after you get this.
Sept, 19th.
As I have not had a
chance to mail this
letter [until] I will
write a line and let
you know that I
received your letter
last evening we
are at the Rapidan
river (Rapidan
River)
and expect that
the ground we now
occupy will soon be
a battlefield I
have stood the march
first rate so far, no
more this time,
Part: of 5 
