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�Camp of the 20th Maine Vol in Front of Petersburgh Va

               July 17th 1864

Dear Mother

               I thought that I woud 

Write you afew to let you know that I am well and hope that theas few lines wil find you the same Mother we still lay here in the dich before

                                       the 

Petersburgh we have bin in ^ front lines for 25 Days and we have had to dig Nights I suppose that you would like to know how we live hear in the dich we have got boom broofe and we live in thehem we ["get"crossed out] hant got eny sick in this Co now or we hant had since we came hear Mother [crossed out letters] see by the papers that the Rebels have bin up in Md and Washington I gess that thay got Diserpointed this time