My dear parents:
I am now on picket and I thought I would write to you one time more and see if I could ever hear from home. I have written two letters since I came back and yet I have not had a scratch of a pen since I left Glade Springs Depot. I wrote once at Staunton and once on the road between that place and Winchester. In those two letters I gave you sort of a history of our march and as I commenced I will finish. Saturday the 18th, we started out bright and early and marched 14 miles and camped near a little town formerly called Mt. Pleasant, but now Mt. Jackson. I forgot to say that we came through New Market. Monday, we layed by and rested which we ought to have done on Sunday. On Tuesday we marched about 19 miles, passed through Woodstock, the county seat of this County. It is hardly as large as Wytheville and not near as nice a place. On Wednesday, we marched again and passed out of Shenandoah through the corner of Warren and into Frederick Co. Next day we went to Winchester which was a very beautiful town about three times as large as Wytheville and no mistake. Here at Winchester, I saw some of the Wythe Greys as they passed through. Lee s Army was then coming back out of Maryland and Pennsylvania. There were about twenty Regiments passed through while we were here, which belonged to General Ewl s Corps, besides about 100 peces of artillery and some ten or twelve thousand Cavalry. Winchester was a boisterous place while I was there. On Friday we fell back to this place which is 20 miles from Winchester and only 2 miles from Strasburg. Our force here is about 4,000 and I think we will give the enemy battle here when they come and I don t think it will be very many days, for we learned there was about 5,000 Yankees at Winchester now. We have 12 or 15 pieces of artillery here and a splendid position, that is why we fell back here, we will not be so easily flanked. I never haved wished to be in a fight, but do wish I could have been in that fight at Wytheville. A great many people are very much discouraged and say we had just as well give up for we will be overrun and subjugated anyhow, and I acknowledge the prospect looks more gloomy than it has for some time passed. But if we would gain our independence we must persevere and endure some hardships. We need not expect to be victorious all the while. For my part, I think we had better wait awhile before we give up. We are a ruined people if we give it up now. And if we should hold on 12 months and then are overrun we will just be the same. But I am not yet very uneasy and still able to fight. I am enjoying good health and doing pretty well on beef and bread. The rest of the boys are well with a few exceptions. I forgot whether I told you Wythe Fisher was left in the hospital at Staunton sick. I have not heard from him since. I heard with sorrow yesterday of the death of Uncle Pete Spangler. I hope this will find you all well. Give my respects to all my firends and neighbors. I have no idea when I will see you all, perhaps never, but let us keep this blessed promise in view that if we are faithful until death we will have a crown of life. 

I want you all to write sure. Direct this way:  

Thomas W. Fisher, 
C-f of Capt. Yonce,
Co. (C) 51st Va. Infantry 
Staunton, VA.                                 
 
 
 

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