Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-09
SOLDIERS LETTER HOME
TELLS OF GREAT BATTLE
II Was Written by William Nick TO
His Wife, Following Engage
ment ut Fredericksburg.
PAPER rs YELLOW WITH AGE
Few Months Later He Receives
Wound Which Results In Death
Shortly After lie Reaches Home
Under Shadow OF North Mountain.

Se.rbe following clipping from the
i;ockbrldgc News viii be read with in
forest:
There came into the hands oi the
editor q few days ago letter yclio"
with age. TO MS wife from a Conf.d-
crate soldier or the ltockbridye Mr.
t!llcry, written Just after the smoke
Of the light al fredericksburg IN De-
cembcr, 1852, lad cleared away, tell
ing in homely terms the story which
has gone down in history of the gal
liant part taken and the sacrifices
made by his command In that battle.
1t Is letter from William Nick TO
his wife. Mary Ann Nick. The letter
reads:
camped near the Rappahanac River.
about four miles from the battlefield.
December l1,lSG2.
ncarc WIFE:
seat mysel! ~ return TO your kind
letter which received last night. 1t
gave nc srca. satisfaction 10 read
YOUR letter was truly glad TO hear
from sou aud my Dcare little Chill
dren This leaves me well and h2rty,
aud hope when thcse few lines come
10 hand they may iind you and the
children enjoying good health
Mary Ann, was III hard right
lnst Saturday, rs hard a Fight as ever
Was Fought. We went in about Il
o'clock and come out about DARK; the
cannon kept uD consta9t roar all
The time "c were iii there, "c. mad
over hundrc; canon engaged all al
the same time. We had 10 men wound
cd in our company and killed dead.
Here IL a list Of the dead:
Lieutenant McCorkle. John r. Beard.
a brother of William Beard. MARY
Nnn, wish you would send william
word If you can. John Fuller Was
killed and Fairfax and Joseph Agner
and Dock Montgomery. Dock died the
next day We drove the Enemy back
acro.s the Rappahannc River We
give them a complete whipping. Our
loss vas 20 hundred killed and wound
ed, the Taikee's loss was about 80
hundred killed and wounded. 1t was
!, very hard Fight. Il WAS very mulch
excited for a while: men falling all
around me. viii give YOU list OF
the wounded in our Company. Joseph
McCalp:n was wounded and James Ford
aud Mr.. Frazer. Joseph Shaner and
fcnrS DIXON. Henry Pain and Mr.. Car
son and RAIDER and Robertson OF Mar
land. aud Mr.. Alexander. They fought
Tor Daycs. but y. WAS II only 3
DAYS. thought every minute that
my time had come 10 die, but thank
God am spared yet a while. but ii is
onley a chance that am here We
arc resting today and talking about
tho Battle We had six horses Rilled
~ our Battery.
When you writ. direc; your letters to
lackson Corps. First Virginia Resi-
mont of Artillery. care Of Csptain
i'oagute. and they Viii come 10 ". /,
Lon't matter where We arc,
Mary Ann, YOU wanted TO know some
thug ahou, my cloths. we'll you had
better not send them unless you get a
good chanc and then just send what
YOU have ready ! aint needing them
very bad Yet, Try and send them with
come ono that Is coming TO the com
pany, FOR there is 50 many things lost
William Pott is here and he was In
the fight. but lie did not &c, hurt. You
wanted to know where sam Agner is
lie Is detailed to drive a forage wagon
~ our regiment
Mary Ann, rs soon as get time I
WIN write Il letter To sam Green and
til sam that ! have nothing agains,
him, | wish him well. Tell him / hope
that wo Will meet aud talk over our
small mattcrs and II We don't meat on
Garth hope that | win meet IN a bet
ter world.
Write a s soon IS YOU cst this. SO
VIII close with tho hop" OF hearing
from YOU soon
William Nick
To hts wife. Mary INN Nick.
The home OF Soldier William Nick
vas under the shadow Of North Noun
tain. near Coilicrstown. where he WAS
born In 1883. And my Dcarc Little
children" OF whom he speaks were four
scrs. the Youngest three. tho Oldest nine
rears old. The soldier in his letter
thanked God he was saved fer a while.
~ vas only for n while. TO-. the morn
ing of sunday May 3. following. while
lifting 4 wounded comrado in an am
huiance In the heat Of the Chancrlors-
Ni'lc battle. she'll shattered his right
shoulder. Tic survived u reach his
home crippled and suffering. and there
he fingered a wreck of his former self
and died September IS. 1863. Ills wife
Tted In 1904. The four children, Samuel
NJ. Cornelius A.. William A. and John
II. Knick. grew UP 10 be useful citI-
Hens or the county, ana all arc now
living except the first named