The Civil War Letters Camp Hamilton April 7, 1862

Camp Hamilton April 7th 1862

My Dear Wife

i take this oppertunity of writing to you to inform you that i am still enjoying good health and i hope these few lines will find you the same  i wrote a letter to you last Thursday  i expect you received it in due time. we have had considerable of a stir about here this last few days  the large Army that landed at Fortress Monroe has moved away towards Yorktown and i expect by this time that Yorktown is in our hands

General McClallan arrived here last week and he has took command of the Advance Army and you may expect to hear of some fighting down this way before many days

two companys of Our Rigement are Stationed at Newport News and this morning 5 companys are ordred of somewhere but i do not know where  perhaps to Yorktown

Our company E for the present will remain at Camp Hamilton but there is no telling how soon we may be ordered of like the Rest  i would just as (???) stop here as go any where else  we are comfortably quartered here  but if we are ordred of we shall have to go of course

Dear Wife  time seems to pass by slowly with me very slow and i often look forward to the time this war will be over till i will be able to return home to you that we may be able to live together in happyness as we promised often to do when we where Married  and i indeed long for that time to come

i have no news to send you at present  everything is quiet about here but i hear a pretty loud noise of cannon in the Direction of Yorktown  i expect they are having a pretty sharp fight of it but i think our men will be Masters of the field. i have not much more to write at present  hoping that all is well with you and that you will live through your troubles and keep your health and strength and you have my best wishes

Dear Maggie  i often very often think of You at night when i lay me down  i lay awake sometimes for an hour thinking of you  but Maggie i dont want to talk foolish for you know that i love you and that is suficient. i have no more to say at present  Give my respects to Your Mother  Jane and all of the family and all inquiring Friends

and with my very Best Love to You
i am Your Affectionate Husband
William Lancaster

P.S

i suppose the Shirts and Drawers you sent me are on somebody else by this time
Charles Atkinson has Deserted and took everything with him
but i expect i can get along with out them  i recived two white wosted shirts the other day from the Captain and i guess they will me for a while
W.L

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