Camp 20th Me. near Warrenton Pa.
My dear friends at Home—
Again have I recd a kind letter from home of the date [illeg. paragraph]
We are leaving quite [illeg. word] now, but I expect that we shall move again [illeg. phrase]. It is cloudy today [illeg. passage]. … Corps lost so many horses. The army had to stop & rest a while [illeg. phrase] up its horses if nothing more & besides the men were getting raggedy everything needed rest, sweet rest. [illeg. passage] on the field of battle; I do not know but what you will think it is strange there can be a glimmer of peace[?] amidst such scenes but there nevertheless is; as only after a day of conflict & excitement as we lay ourselves down on the ground, with perhaps a stone for a pillow, & when all is still, & we look up to Heaven & thank our Heavenly Father that our lives have been spared; this then that a feeling of peace steals over us … when we are in camp for a few days … a neighboring Band strikes up in strains of sweet music, first some National Air, then some lively tune, & again some soft melodious strains, ‘tis then that a feeling of peace steals over us … when the Cannon is booming, in the fierceness of battle we can look for peace, for peace can only come to our beni[gh]ted country through these, & these alone. [Read more…] about July 3, 1863