Year: 1861

| DEAR MoTHER:-Doubtless you have heard


ere this that the Chassaurs have smelt powder.
We were in an engagement last Wednesday.
| The fighting was done by the artillery on both


sides. Our regiment had advanced some eight


miles to attack the enemy and had been resting


several hours, some sleeping some sitting on the
ground, others on the fence, all with unloaded


muskets, when suddenly bomb shell came in
and struck fence and exploded, knocking the
! rails in every direction sending the men in as


many. A splinter struck Ed. Giddings TOne


of the Clyde boys and knocked him over, but


he jumped up without receiving any injury ,on-
| ly having swelled lips. For while they Came


thicker and faster Our artillery took their po-
sition and fired three shots to their one. but


with what effect we could not tell Our side


then retreated short distance and formed into
line of battle, our regiment taking position on
| the left, to prevent the enemy outfanking u.s.
The artillery meanwhile kept up sharp firing.
Friday the Capt. asked for 40 men in our
company to go on scouting expeditions. The
boys were all eager to go, but as some of them


has to be left the Captain picked out the boys he
wanted. Among them were all of us Clyde
boys We took one day ratons and our blan-
kets and started. We went some two miles
when we reached the outside pickets, when the


Colonel, who was with us, placed half onpicket
guard and the rest concealed in ambush a short
distance off ready to assist them if the enemy
attempted to drive them in. We expected they
would, for we had one of their Majors prisoner,
and had driven in their pickets In doing 80,
we lost one man belonging to the New York
18th, and the enemy lost six.


Our camp is called Camp Advance, because il
is the most advanced of any, and we were that
day stationed nearest the enemy of any of Uncle
Sans Grand Army. Perhaps you NAV think
strange when tell you that we thought it quite
an honor to the Buckeye Boys. We were only
about half mile from the enemy's pickets,
i IL. !
fence at night. We were not allowed to speak
above whisper, but in the day time we took
turns watching, and some of us went at our
pleasure so that we kept in hailing distance
Andrew jackson, myself and several others
went down and gathered grapes, got all that we
could carry, took them to the boys. and had a
grand feast. They were the finest and largest
that l ever saw, and resembled those of ours,
only they were much larger. How l wish that
l could have sent you some. AT night we were
given the countersign and ordered to halt any
person that might come that way; if he refused
to do so to shoot him down. We stopped Sc
veral but they proved to be friends, and they
were allowed to pass Once, when was on the
reserve, word was sent down that there were
some rebels, not exceeding dozen, and that
they wanted us to help take them. We cooked
our guns and started double quick, intending
to take them prisoners if possible. But when
we got there we found it was some of our own
othcefs who thought they would test us. We
told them not to try it again or they might not
get off so easy. Next came a cavalry company.


We expected a company of secession cavalry to
pass about the same time and we thought it
was them Part of US lay concealed, and the
rest of us stood at our post. When they came
up we ordered them to halt; whether they heard
us or not we could not tell, but they did not do
so. We repeated the command, and the rest
jumped out from behind the bushes and pointed
their guns at theriders. They stopped, looking
like scared flock of pigeons and exclaimed
"For God's sake, don't fire." They proved to be
ascouting party of Union men.


Professor Lowe has been most of the afternoon
up in his Balloon watching the movements of


the enemy. There was undoubtedly good rea-


son for expecting an attack from the enemy, but


they did not come, and we have marched back
| to camp to find our tents leveled TO the ground.


Our men felt rather cross at leaving our homi.


ny and losing our tents without having brush


with the enemy


have written several letters that am con-
| fident you have not received. The Capt told


me that they did not allow letters written with
| in the last ten days to be sent To be deprived


of the privilege of writing seems hard, shall
give this to a teamster TO be dropped in the of.
| fce at Washington. By so doing think Won


will receive it. Write often; the lettera receive
from my friends is all the reading matter that
have with the exception Of stray newspaper
occasionly. Your son, FRANK.