Dear Pa
I seet myself this pretty morning to inform you that I am well hopeing these few lines will find you and find you all well it has been more than a month since I heard from you all but I believe I got the las letter that you wrote you said you was out of paper I have been our of paper myself but we run the yankees out of winchester and got all of their baggage they left their napsacks blankets coats wagons and evry thing else & we took from three to five thousand prisoners and lost but few men and Ashby is after them yet I expect we will take a great many more the cavaldry brought in a right smart gang this morning the first prisoners was taken on 23rd and we have been taken some evry day since we took winchester yesterday without much trouble and but little loss they left in double quick and threw their napsacks as they run they started with some of their waggons but the cavaldry captured them. The first prisoners we took was the first Maryland Regiment. They burnt a great many of their comisary stores before they left they tryed to burn their amunition but the sitizens put the fire out and saved it we got a great deal of amunition they burnt severel wagons of bacon along the road. We have been travling evry day for three or fore weeks without any rest we marched all day and and get our provision about mid night and have to cook from that till dayligh and start again but we have cleard the vally of of yankees at last and I think we will get to rest some know. Some of the yankees run to the woods some one place and some another. Pa as I am not able to give you a history of our battle I will drop the subject and you will see it in the papers. Now I want to know something about home write and let me know how you are getting along and tell me about hayes Cummings for I want to know about them and where they are. I got me a yankee overcoat & nap sack. Give my respects to enquiring friends so no more at present but remain your son.
W. R. Gilmer

To you all