Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-09-29

AHu d pACCS VI PIE, anu HlSu6u 1
could then have a big turnover 1
made up my mind that | would try
my luck at making one as soon as
could get a bit of -four, / bought
a secondhand tent cloth for a dol
lar before We left camp, and on the
day of our charge il was taken to
spread on the ground for our wound
ed colonel to lie on. 1t was lei,
there, so | lost it, Yesterday morn
ing | started out across the battle
field to see if could not pick up an
other. In going a little way 1 found
what / was looking for, also a new
knapsack, and two pairs of good
socks; and then there were blan-
kets and shirts and other such things
more than l could brag away
/ am writing this with pencil,
for | have no ink A pencil is bet
ter, anyhow, with only ones knee
for a desk; so | know you will ex-
cuse me. And then this paper is an
old scrap | have picked up. 1t will
be welcome to you, though, if it
brings news from me. l shall have
to beg an enyelOpe-and then leave
the postage for you to pay. can
not get stamps here.
| can tell you that there is large
body of soldiers here, but just what
they are to have us do is more than
can tell. The number in our reg
iment here this morning is less than
200. suppose that before you get
the letter ! sent yesterday you will
have become almost discouraged for
| had not written before for ten days
We were kept so busy could not
get time to write
The day of the battle we charged
through a cOrnfield. Once we stop
ped and lay a little while on the
ground. l picked two ears of the
corn and ate them raw, also pu1 Il
big one in my pocket and roasted
It mkt day wish had another now
As l was attending to a man of our
company who was wounded while we
were in the woods. a shell s.rucK
Near us and burse. A piece of 1t hi
a man sitting by a tree about foui
feet from me, but it did no, nurt
him very much | shall have to stop
writing now for a time.
August H. Yesterday afternoon
our regiment was ordered 70 advance
6 little way to the edge of a field,
and there formed in line of battle.
The rebels were in sight nearly mile
away. We were ordered to lie down
fat Soon ano her column of troops
passing in our rear drew the fire of
the enemy. Six or eight of their
shells burst near us and wOunde,
two of our men We lay in that place
over night This morning Virgins
brother and | went to corntield
over towards the rebel works and
got a lot of roasting ears. l had al
/ wanted to eat.
There was good deal of fighting
along our lines yesterday. but it is
pretty quiet this morning. One of
the boys in our company was wound
ed out on the skirmish line yester-
day. Virgin hasn't got back here
vet His brother lay close to me in
the battle line yesterday. and last
night he found a dent in the frying
pan he had in the knapsack strap
ped to his back When he opened
up his knapsack he found a grape
shot in the bottom of it. 1t was this
thai had struck his frying pan.
| think now | must close for this
time
From your loving husband,
David Coon
P. S. I hope to hear that the chill
dren have got well through with he
measles, and that Herbert finished the
harvesting in due time.
| have omitted a small part OF the
above letter. as of purely person
al nature 1t is truly a typical let
ter of a soldier in Civil war lines
to his family How many HUNDREDS
OF thousands of them there were, ana
how they anchored the hearts Of our
citizen soldiers to the homes TO.
whose future good they were fight
ing to maintain our government.
The next letter was written from
Petersburg. % miles south of Rich
mond. on the q h cay of August.
ten days after the date of the last
part of the above letter.
Dear Wife and Children
| wri e to INFORM you tnat, through
the fortunes of war, am now pris-
oner. In the battle at Ream's STA
ton, on the 25th inst. nearly all the
men in our regiment we're captured
! should think. In order to reacA
this place from there we had C
march twenty miles. can truly say
that. whatever treatment I may re-
ceive later I shall ever remember
with gratitude the treatment thus Tar
of the officers and guards who have
had us in charge. no not remem-
Der to have heard an order accom-
panied with profanity since l was
taken prisoner | really think our
own men and officers would doweii
10 pattern after our csptors in TINS
respect
Nv health is very good. You WI
please write me a few lines and lie
me know how you are The post
master there win tell You how to ad'
dress letters 70 me We expect 10