3 1/2 pages, 5 1/8 x 6 1/2, in ink, written by John A. Yeckley.

Winchester, Virginia, March 16th, 1862

Friend Josephine,

I received your letter yesterday & I was glad to hear from you for it was so long since I heard from you that I thought you had forgotten me. The reason that I did not write before is because I heard that you was not at home & besides that I did not receive any answer to my last letter. We are once more in Virginia & we expected to have a fine time taking Winchester, but the Rebels all left the night before we got here & never gave us any show for a fight. We are having very pleasant times. There [is] about twenty of us in a tent & we play euchre pretty much all the time. We are encamped about half a mile from the city. It is a very pleasant place & the weather is delightful. There is skirmishing going on here every day with the enemy’s pickets. Our company is going out this afternoon & probably we may have a chance to see some of them. It is rather tough times here among the citizens. Salt is worth eight dollars per bushel, potatoes are worth four dollars, coffee is worth two dollars per pound, writing paper is selling for two cents per sheet, postage stamps are not to be had for love nor money. We have fresh pork, mutton & chickens nearly every meal. I should like to know if you have seen anything of Walt & if you have tell him that I should like to hear from him. I can’t say how long we shall stay here, but the probability is we shall remain here some time. Write as soon as you receive this & give me all the particulars. Tell me what kind of a time you had at that oyster supper at George Frey’s. I heard by the way that my uncle was waiting on you. I would like to know if it is so, but I must bid you good bye this time.

Yours truly,
John

You must excuse bad writing & all other mistakes for the boys are all raising hell & some one of them is running against me almost every word I write.

That letter with the one enclosed for Jim was not received. Jim says that he should like to hear from Alice very much.

Bold and very neatly written. Light age toning and wear. Newsy letter. Excellent content.

John A. Leckley, was 24 years old when he enlisted in the Union army as a private, at Canadaigua, New York, on May 14, 1861, and was mustered into Company E, 28th New York Infantry, on May 22nd. He was mustered out of the service on June 2, 1863, at Albany, New York, when the regiment's term of service expired.