[NOTE: This letter was sent to me in transcription, I do not have a scan of the original. The letter was also published in the June 21, 1907 issue of the Lebanon News with slightly different spelling.]

Camp near Martinsburg, Berkley County, Virginia
September 26, 1862

To my dear wife:

I seat myself this pleasant morning to communicate to you a few lines to let you know I am well at this time, and hoping these few lines will find you all well.

I received your kind letter you sent me by will J. as well as the other things. They all fit but the boots and they are most too large, but I can wear them. The cheese was very much welcomed by me.

I have nothing strange to write you. We have had some very hard fighting although I was not in it. I only got to the regiment a few days ago. They had the hardest fight in Maryland - the regiment was cut up very much there. There were only two of our company wounded - one of them mortally, the other slightly. We gained a victory and a great one at Manassas and Harpers Ferry. I suppose you have heard all about it. Our forces went to Frederick City in Maryland and I was in Maryland one night. I crossed the Potomac River going to the regiment and met our regiment or company coming back. I came back the next morning. I cant tell you all who were killed and wounded, though James H. Barrett was killed - I wish I could give you the names of all who were killed or wounded, but I cannot.

We are camped between Martinsburg and Winchester. I expect the yankees will atempt to come back in Virginia, and if they do, we will give them another good whipping. Oh, dear, if you could know the hardships and provations that we have gone through you would be astonished. I have been entirely out of hope of ever seeing you again out I am living in hopes, even if I die in despair, that I can come home in the fall and if that is impossible, I will have to stay until the end of the war.

After drill, I assume my pen again. I still call your attention to the battle of Sharpsburg, Maryland. The battle lasted nearly day, in which a great many of our brave soldiers but the dust. They tell me the yankees fell by the thousands and it is said by our leading men that we killed two to their one. We have hard times here, I will tell you. It is a miracle that any of us escape being killed in such battles as we have been in the last month or two. It is only through the kind mercies of God, that we do escape - He is our only helper and deliverer.

I will call your attention to the following subjects: I received a letter from F.D. Johnson yesterday out he gave me very little satisfaction about my affairs there. He said my stock there was all doing well, but the grass was drying up and did I want to sell my steer calves. I want you to sell them altogether. You had better sell all of them but the two largest heifers. I want you to sell all the stock except what can be wintered. Sell the young calves, if you think proper. I do not want old Beck's colt sold at all. You can tell better than I - save the finest and sell the worst. Have the grain taken care of if I dont get home this fall. I want our grain deposited in a safe place. You will have to manage the best you can.

I may never return home and if I never do, do the best you can in every respect in regard to those matters. I want you to settle our debts in the Garden or get your father to attend to it. If you have money enough, pay them all. I will send you 1.50 as soon as I draw it and I want our debts all paid this fall.

When I saw what my little daughter wrote, it made my heart throb. Especially what Alice said. She wants me to kill all the yankees and then come home. God bless them, I love them dearly. I want you to name the baby before it gets too old, as I cannot. If I never come home I want you to raise them up decently and give them an education as best you can, but I hope that kind Providence will permit me to see you all.

I sent you my likeness from Winchester and also a letter. I want to know if you got them? You may direct your letters to winchester.

I will have to close and please excuse my bad writing. Give my love to all. Tell Lize and Sarah (Reynolds) to write to me. Tell L. S. Hargis I will write to him as soon as I can.

Give my respects to all and keep a portion for yourself.

Your husband untill death,
Lt. B. F. Vermillion to his wife
Mary C. Vermillion.