Leetown Va
March 4th 1862

Dear Sister

We have been sent to this place on picket to hold possession of the road from Charlestown to Martinsburgh.
Our force at this place consists of about half a company of Mich. cavalry and Co's D and E of our regiment.  We arrived here last evening after a rough march of six or seven miles through a drenching rain.  Our quarters are in a large building formerly used as a country store.  Co D occupy a large barn close at hand.  We captured a member of a cavalry company last night, and the Lt. Col. and two privates of the same troop were taken this morning by union cavalry sent out from Martinsburgh.  About thirty horse accompanied by our captain left here this morning for the place where this last arrest was made but were half an hour behind the others and thereby lost the chance to make the capture.  Leaving there they went within half a mile of Bunker Hill but leaving that there was a body of cavalry quartered in a church in that town they decided to take a larger force tomorrow morning and if possible capture them.
There is not much chance of our being disturbed here, but the usual precautions on an outpost are taken.

NOTE:  The message ends here seemingly half written.