Transcribed by Ron Matteson

Dear Friend,

I recieved your kind and welcome letter a long time a go. should have answered it at the time but we broke camp at about that time and we have been on the move amost every day since. Our Cav. Corps fought the rebs for nine days running. we turned the rebs right after fighting them three or four days. and then our Cav started on a raid. we went straight for Richmond.

we had a number of brushes on the way. in one we had two wounded in our Co. John Maybury had a saber thrust in the back. He would have been run through if it had not been for his saber belt. it struck two thicknesses of that. Sarg't Norton had a saber cut on the head.

We went into the fortifications of Richmond about a mile. went within two and a half miles of the city. Had a fight there all day. I guess we waked them up there some if not more. we had only one man wounded there, John Sargent. think he will have to loose a limb. we went all around the city but on the south side. we have been over all of McLellands old batle fields. we are now on the Panmonkey River. there is a division crossing the river now. I think that we are going back to join the army of the Potomac again. we have done a good deal of damage on this raid.

I have not time to write much this time. you must excuse this writing for I am in a hurry. pleas write as soon as convenient. and oblige your Friend

Justus G. Matteson

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