For the last 2 weeks I have been diligently working on the manuscript for my upcoming book on Confederate encampments in Spotsylvania County. My deadline for the publisher is late-August and I am well on my way to meeting that mark. The grunt work is proving to be very ‘typing-intensive,’ but also enjoyable. Those of you that have spent any time transcribing period letters know the challenges that exist when dealing with uneducated subjects who penned their words phonetically. Here is an example of a heartfelt letter from King David Richards of Company A, 57th Va. Infantry to his wife. This is a perfect example of how an unschooled person communicated in the 1800's and how useless spell checker is when doing this kind of writing. (Richards was killed on 7/3/1863 at Gettysburg.)

 Camp Near guinea January th4 1863

Dear wife I seat my self this morning to drop yo afew lins to let yo no that I am well as comon truly hoping when these few lins cums to hand tha may finde yo an the baby both well an harty harriet I have no nuse to right to yo we are hear in the woods we ante got no tents I dont think think we will stay hear all the winter tims is peaseble now we are bilding little huts harriet I am geting mity tired of staing hear we dont get nothing to eat that is fit to eat sutch bread as we eat hear my dog wood not eat I dont no how we have live as long as we have harriet thare is such chat as givening us all furlows I dont no wether tha will or not but I no one thin if tha dont give me one I will take one an cume enney how I cant stayaway from yo and tha baby much longer it dus seam to me like if I could come home and sed yo all I would give (every thing) enney thing in the worlde I am a goin ta wate tel i sed wether tha will givene me enney ferlw or not an if tha dont I will take one and try it enney how harriet I want yo to rite to me an rite how yo are getting on fore all the pleser I ged is to rede a letter from yo and to her that yo are well I havent got but too leters from yo since I got out of the horspttle give my love and bet respects to all my folks. tel mother that brouse is well an harty I must bring my few lins to a close by sainq I remain yo loving husband untell deth from King D. Richards to harriet Richards rite soon harriet I sent yo aring in a letter when this yo sed remember me