Camp in the Shanandoah
Valley Stephenson Station Va
June the 20th 1865
Dear Cousin
It is raining to day and has been most of the time since yesterday We have ^had pretty warm weather for some days past yesterday there came up a thunderstorm there was one man killed by lightning and one shocked they belonged to our regiment but neither of them to our company They were out on picket and were setting under a tree and had their guns by their sides. I believe I was not acquainted with either of them We have a tolerable nice place to camp. it is called the Shanandoah valley and it is pretty high ground too we have plenty of good water There are a great many springs here (page 2) and the nicest ones I ever saw before great large ones I guess they could not be diped dry We are camped closed to the railroad leading from harpers ferry to winchester but it does not run any farther towards winchester than here now it has not been repaired yet There are some Johie [!] that is rebels that have been prisoners come in here most every day on the cars on their way home I seen one that had been in camp chase ohio he had been a prisoner he said thirteen months and had not heard from his family since last september he said he lived about thirty^ miles from here I have not seen an armed rebel yet nor I suppose I will not for the war is over These that come in on the cars are mostly pretty hard ^dirty^ looking set We do not have a very hard time we have some drilling and some guarding to do I guess the guarding is more for stile than anything else and maybe to keep our soldiers (page 3) from getting to far from camp there is not any danger any how of any rebels I think for I never hear of any Most of the talk here is about going home all think that we will be home soon they have given all who wish to do so the chance to go in the regular army I think as soon as they get as many to go in to it as they can if they can get. any {and I think they will get some out of our regiment and} get through discharging the ones that come in ahead of us they will discharge us I seen in the paper a few days ago that they were going to take it by turns discharging that is discharge the regiments that had the shortest time to serve and I think our time will come before a great while Frank Wilcox is our Colonel he wen out ^as^ captain in the 63d got to be major of that regiment and then colonel of ours (page 4) It has happened so that tanny (?) and me have come on guard together most of the time and I am glad that it does There are a good many cherries here the boys some of them go out and get some but most they get they buy from women that bring they in camp to sell they bring pies milk butter bread radishes onions lettice and most all kinds of vegetables in to sell they sell their pies at twenty five cents a piece butter generally at twenty five cents a pound I believe I have never bought of them but there is lots of the boys that do Everbody that I have heard say anything about it say they were down on the rebels but some of them were in the rebel army but they say this time when you write direct to me Co. H 15th Reg Ind. Vol. Just put that on it and I guess it will come to me where ever I am write soon Give my love to all the folks From your Cousin William H Cox