Dear Sister
I received a letter
from you several days ago but have not had an
opportunity of replying until now. I feel very much
unlike writing even now but as you wrote to me &
seemed desirous to hear from me often I will try to
pass a few lines though I can’t promise to make
them interesting. My Regt. & the 26^th Ala. which
constitute a part of our Brigade was left at this place
2 days ago as a provost guard. & Our company at
present has very good quarters. It is guarding the
Commissary Ordnance & quartermaster stores, captured
by our forces at this place & we are in a large building
possibly a market house. We can sleep very comfortably
at night on the brick floor. We were all very
proud of our position because all of us were very tired
& our feet were blistered all over from excessive marching.
Our Division moved on toward Williamsport on the
Potomac river. The enemy did not make any stand
at this place. There were a few shots from the Batteries
of both parties fired but the infantry did not have
an engagement. We captured several prisoners here &
also on the road to Williamsport. The enemy left

Winchester & is now occupied by our forces. Milroy was
the commanding General of the Federal forces at this
place Winchester. It is said he made his escape through
the mountains disguised as citizen. It is evidently
the intention of Gen’l Ewell ( our Lt. Gen’l) to cross
the Potomac River and probably fight the enemy at
Harper’s Ferry.
I am opposed to invading the enemies
country but if Generals Lee & Ewell think best to
go into my Maryland I will try to be cheerful &
contented. This place Martinsburg is one of the
hottest Union holes I ever saw. The men of course
hold their peace but the women, bless their soles
some of them look sour & crop eyed at us. Pout their pretty
lips & turn up their little noses at us as we approach
them if indeed we presume to be so impertinent as to
do so (& who could like it). but there are some here
who are of their Anglo-Saxon blood & line & truly very
encouraging to our tired dirty and raged soldiers. To be
so enthusiastically received as we are with tears
in their eyes they would grasp the hand of a poor
dusty raged rebel. Some would even bestow kisses &
their hearty God Bless You is heard to come from their
very souls. They would wave their handkerchiefs bid
us God’s speed. Onward onward & may the God of

Heaven bless & protect you. All their actions tell loudly
the sympathies of all the truly loyal
ladies of Virginia and the entire South. The ladies of
Martinsburg tell us they have been long expecting
us and they want us to stay with them now for they
are tired of the domineering disposition of the yankey
troops but we everywhere get the cold shoulder
of those of the Union sentiments. They are very
attentive of the yankey prisoners. I heard one lady
say there is a vast difference between the Jews and the
Jintiles. Our Regiment may stay at this place
a week, 2 weeks, or even a month & it may be
ordered somewhere else in less than 2 hours.
A soldier’s life is one continued disappointment
& suspense. We never know what the future has
in store for us & we are often disappointed in our
expectation. The news from the west is still very
cheering. But I don’t know how true the reports are.
Fighting Joe Hooker as he is called is somewhere
I do not know but I think his headquarters is
at Alexandria. His forces may still be on the
Rappahannock river. Gen’l A. P. Hill is where
we were sometime ago. He will oppose Gen"l
Hookers onward march to Richmond. 

Some of the grandest movements of our army is on
foot but I can give no idea as half the army I
think our Corps is moving toward the Potomac
river. My health is considerably better than
when we arrived here 3 days ago. My feet feel much
better than when I arrived from B----ges not feeling well.
that is I do not feel strong at this time. But I am
daily gaining strength I lost on the march.
But I will never be as active & again as strong as
I did 6 or 8 months ago. Our whole army seems to
be march fatigue & who could wonder at it. Dear
sister you know nothing of the hardships we have
to endure neither do you know what your patriotic
sisters of Virginia have known. What a good
thing it would be for the good sisters of our own dear
sunny south to address their sisters of Northern Virginia
through the papers thanking them for kindness
they do their brothers and fathers while they are so nobly
defending this country against a merciless & cruel
foe that in trying to invade devastate & lay waste
our homes. Why not the young ladies of Autauga &
even your own neighborhood do this. I think
it would be really encouraging to the fair daughters
of Virginia to continues in this good work.

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by James D. Allen
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