Camp Blick. Brandon Church (P.O.) Prince George C'ty, Va. 12th June/63 My own dear wife: Again I write to my darling though I have not received a letter since I last wrote though. I feel well assured that you have written. The last that I received was yours of the 27th . We are still at Camp Blick or at least a portion of us are. The Col with a portion of the Regt left Sunday morning last for Franklin. We have since heard several rumors as to his present whereabouts. One is that he has gone to Kinston, N.C. another is that he has gone to Bertie C'ty and then to Chowan. I feel pretty sure that he has not gone to the first mentioned place for if he had the whole Regt would have been ordered there. There is another portion of the Regt down on James river on picket at a place called Bacon's Castle. Last night about twelve O'clock a courier arrived stating that some steamers and transports were advancing up the James River. Capt G.W. Ward who is now in command of that portion of the Regt at this place sent off some men to look after those Boats and transports. They reported they went up the Chickahominy river. It is thought they are only on a marauding expedition. I heard yesterday that we had had another fight at Fredericksburg. We repulsed the enemy, did not hear any of the particulars. You no doubt have heard and been looking to the papers with a great deal of anxiety to the result of the battles going on in and in the vicinity of Vicksburg. Gen. Pemberton notwithstanding he has been severely unsured, and by some called a traitor has if what the papers state is true, done some of the best fighting that has been done during the war. Have you seen his address to his troops after the place was in siege by Gen Grant? He told them that he had been called a "traitor." He told his troops that the enemy should not occupy the place until the last horse & the last grain of corn had been eaten, and the last man under his command had perished in the trenches. The last accounts we have from there is that "all is well." Our loss is said to be six hundred. The enemy admit a loss of fifty thousand. Grant it is said has fallen back to near the Big Black. The Memphis papers (Yankee) state the arrival at that place of 4,500 Confederate prisoners. These must have been of Johnson's command, as he was expected to attact Grant's rear The paper also state the capture of nine hundred wagons belonging to Grants army. Gen Gardener has also repulsed and routed the enemy who attact him at Port Hudson. I do hope we will continue to hold Vicksburg. I think the Confederacy could better afford to loose a dozen Richmonds than one Vicksburg for the latter is the key to the Mississippi & all the state west of it. Mr. Bridgeman has just got in from the picket post on James river. He says the boats that came up yesterday returned last night. But the pickets at hog island report fifteen steamers in the river to-day. Griffin & Allen are with this portion of the Regt. Tell their wives they are very well. It is generally believed in the Regt that we will go to N.C. soon. I do not know upon what they base their opinion. I will not allow myself to believe it for I do not like to be disappointed unless it is an agreeable disappointment. We have quantities of cherries, onions, butter, butter-milk brought to our Camp now by the citizens for sale. Cherries 50 cts per quart, onions 50 cts for six about as large as a dollar, butter $2.50 pr lb., butter-milk 25 cts for quart & other things in proportion. Sue I have not seen but one thing in Va that excited my admiration. Yes I do admire these fine clover pastures. But I was going to speak of a very fine Spring that there is near a place where we camped known as Allen's Depot. The spring is about half mile from the depot. It is a deep revine with prodigious hills surrounding it. Those hills have all the undergrowth trimed out leaving a heavy growth of beautiful oaks. Upon one of those hills is a magnificent dwelling with very every necessary outhous, they too built and painted in a stylish manner. The water of this spring gushes through an aperture of petrified shell, the walls of which as you view it through the rushing body of pure christal liquid, looks like there were lined with pearl. As I stood looking at this boiling spring and watched the water as it ran hurriedly over its pebbly bottom with now & then shell of the antediluvian age I wished for my darling and our little ones to be there with me alone to admire this beautiful scene of nature. While standing by that spring in silent meditation I could but think what a contrast between it, one of the things of Gods workmanship & man who is said to be the noblest of his work. The one as pure as when it left its Maker's hand and still occupied in its legitimate functions while the other has left home and everything that was pure & near & dear to him with deadly weapons in hand to take his brothers life. I thought too how to my mind this purity resembles my darling wife who was living and laboring at home without a murmur. It also reminded me of our little ones in their purity and loveliness. I wished I could have them with me if it could only have been five minutes to see them frolick in its purity. We washed in the stream below the spring. The water was so cold that one could not keep his feet in it but a few minutes before they would become painful. Yesterdays paper stated that the Yankees had our prised Gen Stuart at Culpepper Court House and a terrible fight ensured. It lasted twelve hours. We sustained a heavy loss but finally repulsed the enemy. My love to all. Yours..Henry