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 620605
         FROM: Benjamin F. Harrison              
LOCATION: camps near Richmond, Virginia
               TO: Father and family of John C. Harrison
LOCATION: Evergreen
         DATE: June 5, 1862

   Dear Father, I take this opportunity of writing you a few lines more to let you know how I am comin' on. I am in tolerable good health at this time. I hope these few lines will find you all well and doing well. You have heard of Magruder and Johnston giving up Yorktown. We left there the 4th day of May. We have been fighting every week since the first of March and we have had a great many men killed and wounded and some of them were friends that I well knew and last Saturday I got one of my mess mates killed. His name was John Bryant, as fine (a) fellow (as) there (ever) was and John T. Franklin and Major Allen (photo below) and Thompson Jones. All as clever boys as could be with the exception of Franklin. I was sorry for Bryant. He was shot in the thigh and fell. He was shot in the main artery of the thigh and then shot in the neck and in the arm and then in the foot. There was 90 killed and wounded in my regiment but the big fight is to come off yet and I think that it will be the hardest fought battle that has ever been fought in this war (or) than has ever been fought at all. I want you to write to me whether you have heard from William or not since he left and I want to know what regiment he is in and what his captain's name is and how all is going from Covington. I forgot to say to you that old Mr. Long's son got killed at the Battle of Williamsburg. The old man Long lives up there about Leon (?). I have been into battles or where the shot and shell has fallen fast and have not been hurt yet but I can't say about tomorrow for we commence on them Yankees. "Hope that we shall be able to put them to flight." I said. I will close by saying that 
                    I Remain Your Affectionate Son
                    Until Death