Camped at Fairfax C.H. Va. June 17th
				1863
Dear Brother
	I rec. your kind
letter of the 7th inst. the
12th and was very glad to
hear from you. We were
Camped when I rec. your letter
Near Bell Plain, but last
Saturday we fell back, or
Marched for this place
which we reached Monday
Noon, and we had a pretty
tough March of it too. The
whole Armey of the Potom
-ac has fell back from
the Rappahannock to
Centreville; Fairfax C.H.
and other places. The reason
you have learned before
this time, Old Lee has
been heavily Reinforced
and is again trying his
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hand at invasion of the
North, but I think he
will fare worse than he 
did before. This you can
depend upon, if Old Pal
Hooker gets the advantage
of the Rebes that McClellan
did at Antietam, he will
not let them off as easy
as McClellan did, and I
have no doubt but Old Joe
can handle Old Lee as
well as McClellan can
all things being eqwal.
One thing sure Hooker is
a better fighter than McClelan.
now is the time for Old
Dix to strike at Richmond
while the Rebel Armey
is up this way. They must
of been weakoned conciderab
-le around Richmond and
other places to of increased
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Lees Armey to so large a
figure. I have not heard
for several days how Grant
is geting along at Vicksburg
and Banks at Port Hudson.
I hope they are doing well
and think they are. We do
not get much News when
we are on the March.
I am sory to her that
Lydda's Health is so poor.
I am glad to hear that
Orisan has got a Job in
the Shop with you. I
hope he will be steady
and do well. I hope you
will keep an Eye on him
and give him good adv
-ice, he is smart and
active and if he is a mined
to he can do well. Tell
him to write to me and
I will write to him, give
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him my best respects, it
is Just as well that you
did not send me those Sta
-mps, for we were paid
off soon after I wrote
to you for them. Then I 
had Stamps enough, and
I have been paid off once
since then so now I shall
get along for sometime
there is nothing that I want
Luther; if there should
be, I will let you know
if Rachel gets short and
you think Clinton is a buster
to you, well I dont know
much about him for he
was qwite small when
I left home, he could but
just set alone on the floor
when I left home, he was
a sweet little fellow then
however, I expect he has 
grown so I shall hardly
know him. Then Lyddia and
Rachel got scared at a poor
Drunken Irishman did they
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poor women it is a pitty
about them especily where
it makes them scratch
gravel so. You ask if Hookers
Armey did not get whiped
at Chancellorsvile. Perhaps
he did, at least he was
partialy foiled in his
plans by the disgraceful
flight of the 11th Armey
Corps and the heavy raines
and also by the Rebes rec.
heavey Reinforcements
from Richmond, but a
nother such a victory to
the Rebes would be the
ruin of them, for they
sirtainly suffered nearly
double what we did
and their own men ackn-
-oledge it. I say that Gen
Hooker exibited better
Generalship in that Battle
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and in the way he drew
the Rebes out of their
fortifycations back of
Fredericksburg; than any
Gen. that has yet had
Command of the Armey
of the Potomac. I would
rather fight under Hooker
to day than McClellan. You
tell Lyddia that when I
find out that I am goin
home or going to Call at 
your hous, I shall fast
for several days before
I go home so i can eat
the more of her goodies
so she can make up her
mind as well first as
last that she has got some
Cooking to do when I call
to see her.  It is very
warm and dry here now,
a nomber of Infantrymen
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droped Dead on the March
Monday (I hear) it is very
hard Marching such hot
days, but through the
Blessings of God I have 
thus far stood it first rate.
My health is first rate
and Spirets good. I am
sory that Rachel had a
sore hand while she was
visiting you, for it is
not very comfortable
visiting when a person
is Sick or suffer paine.
I hope she will not have
a sore hand. I must now
close. Write often. I have
rec several papers from
you for which I am 
very much obliged to you
for. I rec. one from 
Hellen the other day. Tell
her I will write to her
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as soon as I can get time
but she must not wait
for me to write to her
first. Give her my love.
give my respects to
Carleton Townes and
Messers Folks. Write
again soon and please 
your absent Brother,
	T C Cheney