Joseph Waln Wistar letter dated September 10, 1862

              Head Qrs 8th Penna Cavalry [Headquarters, 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry]
Sugar Loaf Mountain Sept. 10th 1862

Dear Ma,

I recd [received] your letters up to 100 last evening and am glad to hear you are all well.

I am quite well again now, and feel better than I have done since the 1st of August.

 I don[']t know how to get this mailed but will trust to luck and somebody going to the rear.

We are having it rougher now than we did on the Peninsular [Campaign]. All wagons were ordered to the rear a week ago, and we have nothing but what we carry on our backs. Our brigade has been driving the enemy steadily backward for the past three days with small loss to us but almost 100 in killed[,] wounded and prisoners to them. We have some artillery to back us. I saw by a Baltimore paper that Penna. had been invaded. I wish they would send our Brigade for its defence.[sic]

I hope the force now in Maryland will never cross the Potomac again alive.

I think they might be cut to pieces as soon as they leave the river by proper means being used. We are in no division, only in Pleasanton[']s Brigade[,] and I hear he has been made Chief of Cavalry[.]