The letter below was written by Benjamin Dean to his wife, Nancy (Booth) Dean, while he served as a Confederate soldier in the 16th Virginia Cavlary Regiment.

In Camp, Near Winchester, Va.

July the 19th, 1864

Dear Wife,

I embrace the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am alive and that when these lines come to you they may find you all well.

We are under General McCaslin. We have been on a raid ever since the 11th day of May. We started at Lynchburg, from there back to the Valley of Virginia to Winchester, from there to Maryland to Frederick City. We fought 25,000 there. Lt. T.S. Walker was wounded, his jaw was broken. Lt. Harris was wounded and captured. Hiram Grizzle's thigh was broken. Abraham Vaughan was shot through the body. I had two holes shot through my clothes in this battle, one through my pocket and one through my shirt sleeve.

We went near the city of Washington. We came back through East Virginia. I am near Winchester Today. We marched all last night. We have had a mighty hard raid this Spring and Summer.

Nancy, I am poor and feeble. And Nancy I want to see you and William and Lummy once more. I now want to see you worse than I ever did in my life. Nancy, I haven't had a clean shirt for over five weeks. We manage to get enough to eat. We hook the Yanks at every point we can.

Tell my father and mother that I would like to see them again before we are all swept into Eternity. Tell Father Booth and Mother Booth that there is not a day but that I think of them and long to see them once more.

We have been commanded by Colonel Graham. He does nothing but drink and curse and if Colonel Ferguson isn't exchanged by next season, I never expect to make another raid in this war.

Nancy, tell Mate I would like to see him but not in any war. Nancy do the best you can, for at best you now have a hard way of getting along.