Dear Sister
       I received your kind letter this morning dated the 8th of Aprl I was glad to hear you was all as well as you are. I am well myself but Cummings has a very sore eye and mouth but he is better. We are in too miles of Suffolk we have been hear some fore or five days the first too days after we came hear we had right heavy skirmishing with the yankees. we had some one or too killed and several wounded We have throwed up brestworks hear in too miles of Suffolk. Our pickets has orders now to not fire without the enemy advances on them. That stoped the picket fighting on this side. Our Army hear is divided Pickets division is on one side and hoods on the other. I think Hood has been fighting more on the other side than we have. The enemy took five cannon from Hood the other day, and all the horses and men that belonged it it they had them plased off too or three miles from any infantry fireing on some gunboats. the yankees surrounded them and took them without any trouble. I reckon you want to know wheter our Regiment has been in any engagement or not. Their was a part of our Regiment engaged in a skirmish with the yankees the 2st day after we come hear. Our Company wasent engaged in it we was sent of on a rode on picket the night before. We have had right tuff times since we came hear throwing up brestworks and standing on picket. I dont think longstreet intends to attact the yankees in their brest works it is said they are mighty well fortifyed in suffolk. from their movements hear I think Longstreet is expecting them to come out on us they have been throwing bumbshells among us for the last too or three days they sent too or three over this morning they lit tolerable close but done no damage they have been canonadeing off and on ever since we came hear. it has come to be a very common thing with us. you will see more in the papers about this move than I can tell you. I dont know wheter I will get to send this or not. I will write as soon as I can after this fracus is over. you musent look for letters to often for this is a bad plase to write, we may stay around hear a good while if the yankees dont put us to flight so nothing more at present but but remains your affectionate brother
to M J. Gilmer C H. Gilmer