Arlington Heights,

 Camp Mich.

 Wednesday Sept. 14, 1861.

Dear Mother:

Having a little time to spare I thought I would write you a few lines.

I went up on picket Monday afternoon and got back last night. There was a great deal of shooting on both sides yesterday afternoon. I was on a post where there were no shot fired Our regiment has a certain place to guard. On our right is the Third Regiment and on our left is the New York boys.

Opposite The New York Regiment are the Georgia troops and they extend past our Post so they were opposite of me. In the middle of our boys posts are South Carolina troops. To the right are Virginia Troops.
The shooting was all done by the South Carolina and Georgia men. Some of our boys met the men opposite us and shook hands and had quite a talk.

They agreed not to fire on the pickets where they were and they stick to there word.

The boys that saw them say they are very poorly dressed and they had not been paid since they had been in the Confederate army.

The South Carolina troops did not meet any of our boys.

There is a barn near our pickets and the enemy gets up in it and fires from the roof The boys saw a man fire from the barn so eight or ten of them fired back all at once. It was but a few minutes before we saw them carrying  a man from the barn.

The boys are so near the South Carolina pickets that they can talk to each other and they get to blackguarding each other sometimes.

They wanted to know when our boys were going to Bull Run again.

Then our boys asked Then when they were going to Washington.
Some of them told the the boys that Jeff wanted Lincoln to come and Wash his feet.
One of our boys in our Company told them to get their water hot for he would be there very soon.
This is nothing to some of the blowing that goes on.

John is getting better and King too is some better.

I hear we have had orders to march to Harper's Ferry but don't know-if it is so or not.. If it is I will write before we start.
Some think it isn't so.

I received a letter from Ashley and will send it so you can read it. I want You and Father to tell me whether it is best to let him have the money or not. If not I will write him tell him that I have had but one months pay and can't let him have it even if I have to lie a little.
I don't think he shows much sense in trying to get money from me under the circumstances.

If I get sick or wounded I want the money where I can get it. Answer my letter as soon as you get it and let know what is best to do and if you think I had better take United States notes.
They will on interest from the time I take them. I will have ten or fifteen dollars to send. 

You can read his letter then send it back to me.

From
A. J. JUCKETT

P.S. Here are some flower seed I got out of a garden up at the cross road. Give them to Laura.