The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-01-23
Army CORRESPONDENCE.
CANT NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, Va,
Monday, Jan. ), 1868.

DEAR FRIEND MEYERS:
Doubtless, communication from this
region would not prove uninteresting to your
numerous readers. Thinking So, concluded
to pen you line this beautiful afternoon, for
of camp life. Since the late battle at Freder-
icksburg, we have fallen back to our old camp
that VIC occupied prior to the fight. On Thurs
day, Dec. 1lth, we took up the line Of march
and marched within two miles of the city, where
we halted. We stood ready, with the horses
htchcd to the ambulances, prepared to start at
moments notice. Il have been attached to
the ambulance corps since the 25th Of October. J
All day, on Thursday, heavy firing was heard
whilst the pontoon bridges were being thrown
across the river. On Friday we marched about
one mile farther, when we encamped for the
night, sleeping in our ambulances, still having
the horses in readiness to leave at any time in
the night that we might be called upon. Our
division QIumphrey's,) were encamped close by,
sleeping on their arms, they, too, being i'll rea-
dness to leave at any moment. Early on Sat
urday, the 18th, we drove upon the hill close
by the Philips mansion, used by Gen. Sumner
as his headquarters, and in sight of Fredericks-
burg. At day ybroak tho ball opened in real
earnest, and such firing | have never heard be-
fore Or since. 1t was just one continuous roar
all the day long. We could hear the shells
whistle through the air and see them explode
over the city and among our men, with fearful
effect. The sound produced by the shells is any
thing but an agreeable one, particularly when
one is within reach of them. On Saturday
light we were ordered over the river into the
TOW N with our ambuanccs, to remove the woun-
ded ins>o town Almost every house was used
as hospi,..f. In the field the dead actually
lay in heaps, and the groans OF the dying and
their cries for heh. and water, were distressing,
indeed We carried sho poor, wounded braves
off on old doors, shutters, gat IS, boards and
any thing we could find. The surgeons were
engaged all night and all day on Suna,Y IN am
putating limbs and the legs and arms co..Pa pc
seen lying in the yards attached to the houses
and even at the church doors in piles. Such
sights | never wish to witness again. We met
with sad repulse, no matter what some of the
reporters of the daily papers say to the contra
ry People at home who rely on the accounts
they get from the dailies, will find themselves
deceived no little. Those who are out and see,
know better how things really are, yet we see
by some of the papers that they actually claim
Il victory, when | am almost positive that we
lost at least five to the enemy's one They had
all the advantages in the world Batteries were
planted in all directions, to our right and left.
Had we even succeeded in taking the battery
upon which we made the charge, we could not
have held it five minutes. The rebels mad 9TH
ers planted directly behind the one upon which
the attempted charge was made. | do not know
what loss our division sustained, but our regi-
ment q 26th) lost 1S0 men, in killed and wound-
ed. Our Colonel, Col Eldcr) as brave man
as ever drew a sword, received u severe wound
in the hip, in the early part of the fight. Lieut..
Fortescue, Il gallant young man, Of company G,
one OF the companies raised in our place, Cham
ersbulg) was killed, and many were wounded
in the company (A) to which the writer is at
tached. We lost three killed: David Washa-
baugh, Franklin Mclaughlin and A. Reitzel.
John Oaks and A Houser have since died from
the effects of their wounds, and of l. others
wounded there are some Of whose recovery we
are doubtful. On Monday after the fight, tenn
porary hospitals were erected this side of the
river. We were three days in removing them
over from the city and from the hospitals back
again to the r. X. depot where we loaded them
on the cars and sent them to Washington and
other places north.
We are now getting ready TO move back q
few miles, to a more healthy place, and where
we can have fuel little more abundant than it
is here The place we now occupy is a very
unhealthy place, at least our surgeons pronounce
it 50, and we bury two or three every day. The
134th regiment have lost great many men
through sickness and half the regiment are con-
fined now to the regimental hospitals. A little
more sickness AMI q few moro such casualties
as the one at Fredericksburg, and the l34th
will be wiped out Of existence.
We have had delightful weather for some
time, but we do not think it can possibly last
I long. The days are warm and pleasant but