Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-06-03
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
CAMP OF 7HE 18TH PESsA. Vols,
May II, 1854. !
DEAN MorEEr


May II, 1864.
DEAR MOTHER -
Since last wrote to you, have seen what you
may indeed call hard times, and viii try and tell
you can, all that has transpired, though
Ihave seen great many incidents and occurrences
that cannot bring to mind just aow.
We left Glocester Point on the morning Of the 9Th
and passed up the James River on the same day, and
lay in the stream that night, and the next mcsung
we landeda few miles above City Point, the place
where all our prisoners are exchangedl at a place
called Bermuda Hundred, and started on the march
the same day. at about o'clock we eneamped for
the night in grain field as it was impossible to camp
any where in the woods as they were on fire for
miles around.
+ Next morning before day light we were again rea-
dy to oye, wheRthe order came for US to leave our
knapsacks behind and We started, no one Ia the
ranks knew where, and we were the last brigade
to the rear did not expect to ba the one to open
the fight. In march we passed the 55th Ps.,
passed the picket lines and commenced TO skirmish
with the enemy, driving him slowly before us, when
suddenly we emerged from the dense woods through
which we had been skirmishing, into an open field,
when the enemy came in sight, drawn up in line
4
stion and the fight ebmmencod, and as our regiment
held the centre they drove them from their position,
and the flag Of the old 10th was the first to float over
the railroad, IL miles from Richmond The loss in
our regiment was 6s, inour company wounded and
l missing. The Bedford boys wounded wego Levi
Agnew and John Leader.
We returned to where we had left our knapsacks
chat evening, nearly given out with marching and
fighting and next morning we put up our little tents
expecting to get day two rest, but we dis
appointed, for early the next morning we were on
the march again, this time not to fight, but to help
/ build intrenehments We worked all day. marched
to camp, got our knapsaoks, and returned TO guard
the works we had done that day, stayed along the
trenches that day and night, returned to the place
where we had camped before, put up our tents and
and stayed in them two nights, and started on the
march again, leaving our knapsacks, guns and blan
kets behind.
Scarcely had We started until It began to rain and
tell you it did rain all knew how. About 5
O'Clock we again came in sight Oft enemy's skir-
mishers, {the cavalry had been drying them all
the morning) aud they made believe as if they were
going to make stand. Our regiment was brought
into line on the top Of large HILL and our skirmish-
ers and theirs were fighting on another about or
hundred yards of After firing away for an hour or
| so, they made a charge men and drove them
across one field where they made stand and drove
the rebels back again. In this skirmish regiment
! lost men wounded, but none of them out Of our
company. We lay all night in the rain, and the next
morning started again, and struck the Petersburg
/ and Richmond pike about eight miles from Rich
mond, aad after marching short distance we again
came in sight Of the rebels in their works, miles
from Richmond, and after sharp contest with their
skrmishers for about 10 hours we succeeded in
driving them from their first line of works, aud VIC
advanced about half mile further on when We came
in sight of large line Of breast works anked on the
side next to the james by large fort. We drove
them into their earthworks and fort, aud then came
the employment for sharp-shooters. Our men lay
in one part of the woods and their works were on the
outer edge. Their sharp.shooters we're on the trees
and walls of the fort, whilst ours we're in hollow
right below them, where they could look right on
them and have fair shot every time our boys moved
themselves. They killed six out Of our regiment
and wounded % or 80 others We had killed out
of our company and wounded. None Of the Bed
ford boys were killed, but Alexander Bolinger and
John Charleston we're wounded. This continued UNI
til the next day. but regiment relieved in
the evening, VIC did not lose any that day The
next day went to the front again, but as we were
not in such hot place a. the day befose our loss
was small.
We lay behind an old fence all night, and the next
morning just at day light, the enemy opened upon US
from all their guns, and after sheling US for some
time, they charged on whole line from right to
left and as the fog SO dense. they we're into
our boys before they could see them at all. Their
strongest force seems was thrown against our left
wing and they fell back with very heavy loss, and
Of course the righ., whore were, had tosustain
heavy fire from b0th front and flank, and The order
was giyen to retreat which was done in such man
that the enemy could not follow up the advan-
tage gained. We sacceededin bringing off ali OF cur
wounded all the prisoners, nearly all of the steres
&c lido not know tee loss in our regiment exactly,
nor the loss in the army, but if you can get sonao of
the papers you can find more about the ight than I
can tell you. had several very narrow escapes my
self but thanks to the Almighty am alive ard Well
and hope tha. This may find YOU and all the family
tho same. DAVID g. EILIOTT.