Ashby’s Gap, Va

June 23rd/63

Dear Sister,

I owe you a letter and as Mr. Cone leaves for home I will write that you may know something of our whereabouts. We have done some hard marching since we left Fredericksburg. Our men suffered with heat, several days of our march…as hot as we would be in Miss. or any other place. I believe I never felt warmer weather.

Many of the men were completely overcome with heat. Some fainted by the road, some stood a march as well until the 18th about one o’clock, when I was suddenly attack and fainted away for some time.

The Regt had marched through a long lane, came to a piece of wood, halted for about five minutes, went on and left me and about twenty others there to get up when we could. I revived sufficiently by night to follow on.

We leave this place in the morning probably for Penn…

I wrote you all a letter and directed it to sister E and I also intend this for all. I don’t know that will have a chance to send you a letter soon, it may be never. I hope though that if I never see you all again on this earth that I may meet all of my dear brothers and sisters at God’s right hand in Heaven where we will never part.

My dear Sisters pray for me that I may be able to overcome all the temptation by which we are surrounded. Our dear Parents who have done so much for us and cared so much for us will no doubt soon reap the reward of the just. Then let’s follow their example and we too will be forever blessed. What consolation it will bee to them to know that their children are all followers of Christ.

It is now dark. I am writing by firelight. Prayer meeting has commenced, they are singing one of Tez’s favorites. “Children of The Heavenly King.” Our meetings are very interesting.

Charles is at Gordonsville sick; is able to walk about. Frank well. Let all the family see this. My love to all.

Your brother  Newton