My Dear Wife,

Thinking a few lines would be acceptable to you although I suppose you know our whereabouts before this time but I suppose you would like to receive a word from me.

I should have written yesterday but I was on guard and John Gooch wrote to his wife and I told him to tell his wife to tell you that I was all right.

The orders for Leesburg was countermanded the night wrote from Chantilly after midnight. It appears that we had been transferred to Gen. Hooker’s command and he did not know that our time was so near expired but on the contrary thought we were 3 years men with the remainder of Ambrecomby’s division but our officers mad the fact known to him and he ordered us here.

I do not know as I am anymore out of harms way here than I was there but I am nearer home and can lay down with out expecting to hear the long roll beat at night.

I think it was very lucky for us that we did not have to go to Leesburg for it would have been a fatiqueing march through the enemy’s land and perhaps other causalities might have been coupled with the march.

I do not know as I can write anything definite about our coming home. It is thought that we shall not start from here before Tuesday and if we start then I cannot tell hown long we shall be on the way but I hope to be at home the 4 of July so we can go strawberrying for I should like some strawberries and cream first rate.

I do not know as I have any thing of interest to write so hoping that kind providence will continue his watchful and protecting care over us I close.

From your true and loving husband, C W Gooch

PS. My health is good and I stood the march first rate. If we should go by Wednesday or before I shall not be likely to write again.

God bless my dear wife. C.

Camp at Chantilly, Virginia

My Dear Wife,

I guess you will think wonders will never cease when you receive these lines.

We have just received orders to march for Leesburg without delay distance about twenty five miles. What there is up I cannot tell. One thing certain, we shall not be much father from Washington than we are now and there is a railroad from there to Alexandria so we have time to go there and be in Washington by the 30th. There is a good many in hopes that the order will be countermanded before we start. If it is not, we shall be in line at 6 o’clock tomorrow morning. There is not much spare time for it is about 9 PM now.

I shall carry nothing with me but my overcoat and rubber blanket and one shirt. All my other things I have packed in a box and am going to try and get them to Washington.

I expect this will come very unexpected to you and I wish it was other ways for I think more about your feelings then I do about myself. I do not know as I had ought to write but I thought if I did not write the suspense would be worse to you that it would to know the reality and if I have done wrong you must excuse me for I do not wish to do anything to wound your feelings but I know your nature so well that I think you had rather know the certainty of it and it is not too late yet for us to get orders not to go. We are not so near it yet as we were going with Gen. Banks but you must recollect that we are poor short sighted mortals and cannot tell what is best for us. Perhaps it will be the best thing we can do is to go there tomorrow for it has been one continual string of mercies that has kept us so far and all we can do is to hope that the same merciful hand that has protected us so far will continue his protecting power over us. Still I feel like doing my duty as a man until my term of service expires hopeing that he who notices the sparrows fall will take care of me. And now for my sake do not worry about me for you cannot turn one of you hairs white or black and now I shall have to close my dear for it is past nine now and we shall start at 5 instead of 6 if the order is not countermanded.

So hoping soon to see you I close. From your affectionate and loving husband, C.W.G.

PS. I expect I shall lose my things for the teamster that we engaged to haul them has backed out and I cannot carry them but I do not care much. They are not very valuable. Please excuse all mistakes. (Charles W. Gooch)

My Dear Wife,

Thinking you would expect me to write today I thought I would comply with your request and try and den you a short epistle to let you know that I am well and hope you enjoy the same blessings.

I received a letter from you last Friday. I am sorry you feel so anxious. It will not do any good and only make it worse for you so you must keep up good courage.

The most of the boys are not going to write today. They think we shall be on the move by tomorrow for home. I hope we shall but whether we be or not, I thought it would not be any harm to write a few words.

I cannot write any news about our coming home. The officers especially the Colonel, thinks we shall start tomorrow or next day for certain.

We have had it rainy here for two days passed and it has cooled the ground so it is very good going now on the pike. I should like to start now for home. I think I could make Washington before tomorrow morning if they would give the order.

And now my Dear Wife, I will close by hopeing soon to see you.

C. W. Gooch

Camp at Chantilly, Virginia

My Dear Wife,

If I had not been in the habit of writing regular every Wednesday and think you expect a letter at the usual time, I do not know as I should undertake to write today for I have not the least word of interesting news to cummunicate with the exception that I am well. I suppose that sounds good to you to hear that I am well. It is good news for me to hear you are well.

I suppose the town is full of rumors about matters near the seat of war if it has got any seat now. I cannot add anything to what you already know. The army is moving up the river to someplace. I think by the movement they are bound to Harpers Ferry. The talk I hear The talk is here that the Rebs are going up the Shenandoah valley. If they keep in the valley, they will not go within 25 miles of us.

I do not think now that we shall leave this week although we may so I should rather you write as usual. I shall write regular as often as I can.

I received a letter from you last evening. I was very glad of reception of the little thing.

The weather is very warm here now and everything is parching up for want of rain. I would not give twenty-five cents for everything there will be raised between here and Centreville this year if the drought continues much longer.

David Ricker is connected with the Commissary Department in one of the brigades and he was at Centreville yesterday. Some of our boys saw him there. He would come over herebut he is sick and cannot go about much. He has got a commission and can leave when he has a mind to.

This letter as you very well know is short and worthless but as you say I have been thinking so much about coming home of late that I cannot collect my thoughts and you lust excuse and i will try and make up for it when I see you. So hopeing soon to see you, I close.

From your loving husband, C.

(Charles W Gooch)

Camp at Chantilly, Virginia

My Dear Wife,

In accordance with my usual custom, I devote a part of this day to communicate a few of my thoughts to my dear wife hopeing these few lines will find you as well as they leave me.

I received a letter from you by last Friday’s evening mail saying you were all well for which I felt very glad. There is one man in this company, Gordon by name, that lost four children about the time we lost ours with the same disease. All died within 20 days and about three weeks ago his wife had twins and he seemed like a new man after he got the news and least his wife was getting along well but last mail brought the the sad intelligence to him that his wife had gone to that Bourne from which no travler ever returns and the poor man has got all he can survive I think. I pitty him very much now. He has two little ones that he never saw and one little one that is about two years old with no one to take care of them and he out here. It is very bad indeed.

You wanted me to write all I know about all I know about our coming home. I do not kknow as I can write anything different from what I wrote in my last whilst was I thought we should be at home by the 30th if nothing happend. I hope we shall nay way, don’t you? You said you had no paper to send me in your last. It does not make any difference if you do not send me any more. There is paper enough on the ground now so it will not be any trouble for me to procure stationary anytime and perhaps in one week or so we shall be on a move towards home where we shall not want much paper as we do now.

There is no news here at present that will interest you I do not think. I was glad you had a rain there for if it is as dry there as it is here, I fear the husbandman would not realise much in harvest.

I understand that Mr. Seldon Wells went home drunk the other night and beat his wife and threatened to kill her and she has took the road for it. If this is so, he had ought to serve a term of five years at the ripraps.

That old negro woman that I wrote you about is dead. She died last week sometime and the soldiers buried her. I am glad she has got through with her suffering for I think it would have been impossible for her to have lived there another winter. She would have frozen to death I think.

Isaac and I went cherrying this forenoon.There is any quantity of them here but they are not quite ripe yet. I did not eat many of them. I did not know but what they might hurt me and I do not want to get hurt out here.

I forgot to tell you in my last that I have sent you $20. I suppose you have got it before this reaches you. If you have not, please make mention of it in your next and in closing I would say that I hope to see my dear wife from her loving husband, C E Gooch.

If we start as the most of the folks think we shall. I do not know as I should get a letter if you wrote one after you receive this but you can write or not just as you think best.

Camp at Chantilly, Virginia