Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1863-08-04
An Interesting Letter.

The following interesting letter was received |
by gentleman in this city, from an officer in
the United Rtates Army 1t gives detailed
account of the movements of the army in the
campaign in Pennsylvania and Maryland;
WARRrSToS, Va,
July 2Ithi 1868.
DEAR Smi
] promised when last al home to
write to you and | have not forgotten that
promise, you may have thought my letter long II
coming, but when give you the adventures aud |
marches Of Flying Horse Artleryman I am
sure You will excuse me for not fulfilling my
promise sooner had not the slightest idea
when left your quiet city on Saturday morning
June 9th, that l was about to enter upon one OF
She seyerest campaigns Of the war. On arriving
ut Falmouth on Sunday, June eth and whcu
within half a mile Of my old camp, | met my
/ Battery on the march for place callel Hart.
wood Church, turned my horses head in the
opposite, direction, took my place in the column
and went on my winding way, forgot to say
that when l first met the column one of my
brother officers accosted me with, Haloa .iust
In time, Lee has given Joe Hooker the slip and
he don't fnow where he's gone, so we're going to
find out"
Well, we marched from HARDWOOD to Kelly's
ford and crossed the Rappahnnuock, met the
enemy and fought the battle of Brands
Station, where we lost many valuable cavalry
olneers' the enemy were uhuer stuart and our
uoops unuer leasAhtOh must mehtoh mere
'hai many severe engagements take place be-
Vweeh lne enemy caValry anu morse artillery
and ours that scarcely receive Il notice la your
newspapers. From the prisoners that were
taken in that fight we learned that Lee had al
ready passed Il great portion Of ais army towards
the Potomac and probably into Maryland.
Mlltoy NJ winchester was aioWed 10 he surprised
anu vast amount o. ruDne property ieli into the
enemy hahus Tor Whch Mlroy Is not much TO
blame, the enemy : lorce belng much superior to
ms anu nc expecting oil course % near from
, hooAeI ol the nppIpaoh OF Lse well we re-
erossel ihe happhhahhock ~ beverly ford and
nArchel successfully 10 bfaitons Station,
Catsts station ana across the famous Bull Run
oatle hell "nere you eau SEE sirewn around GU
all sues the pleachlhg sSulls.And. bones Of ogr
poor solIers no e1ageeianon 'hetc; did not
+ pelleVe mar because We were lighting rebels, we
were hghung unprineipled, unsoliierlike
! demons. l saw myself on the roadside where
] TINS bodies were la'd sue by side, no grave dug
but Just lillle trench dug all round and a
, sprhklng oil cay thrown over them, which OF
course,soon washed away, leaving exposed those
grinning skeletons, once the pride OF some alice
s Tomato mother From Bull Nun we marched IL
i Aide, where we again met the enemy aud drove
1 them from their position in the gap, from thence
,
tween the whole of Stuarrs and Plensanton'
r. forces In which my battery played Il conspicuous
2 part blowing up the ensmys ciissons ant
limbers, resulting in the capture of three Of thei
guns and driving them into Ashley gap. Here
-, they had corps at their back and after remain
: log oil night at Upperhlll we returned mex
. morning to Aide, this was June 22d. We re
% manned here till the 26th, when we marched Il
- Leesburg thence to Edwards ferry where VI
crossed the Potomac into Maryland to the tunt
+. OF "Maryland my Maryland" with firm dc
- termination to drive the invaders from our sol
A. or die IN the attempt Here We met different corp
crossing, aud it was amusing to see the men hO,
v delighted they were setting their feet o.
VI Maryland soil which they consider as their own
-, for strange to say the soldiers have alread
" drawn the line of the Potomac between loyal an
N' rebel sOili one soldier would remark "lct III
, shake the sacred soil from my shoes" anothu
y would sny-perhaps "a counirymau of mine
'" ''may the Devil go wud you Nirginy and may
~ never set fut on yer soil again if God spares m
u my health, &c, &c, &c.,n each one had some
thing to say rs the bands played "Maryland IN
!" Maryland
On the 18th, VIC marched to Frederick au
D. thence 10 Rdgeville where we again met the Ell,
mys cavalry from Ridgeville we marched
nd Westminster and engaged the rear guard of III
or enemy thence to Manchester. On July the /
n, we marched to within six miles of York, Pa
he meet Stuart who was reported to be trying
he make some Kind OF raid in the rear of ou
army, but which he did not attempt; we tit
returned to Manchester aud Westminster, fro
lie, thence we were ordered to Emmetlsburg whei
ed we joined Central Fitzpatrick cavalry commar
ii and went with him over the mountains throue
ne the centre OF Lees army to Boonsboro, capturit
nearly fifteen hundred prisoners and one hui
=. dred wagons and great number Of horses. b,
10 sides burning battery wagons and FORCES whit
10 we did not want During this during excursio
'as the enemy were hot foot after us aud on OF
oil arrival at Boonsboro we picked out the mo
favorable position for battle grouud, it was
w. long before the enemy's advance guard appear,