Year: 1862

De0T DtSteTS


Hear | am at old Chimborazo
Hospital" again. but will be able in a
few days to bid itanother adieu, and
hope final one. can only write you
short letter tonight, as | have other
letters to write, and Mr.. L. Dnpree
leaves early in the morning. | will now
give you a brief account of our fight Of
Saturday the 3lst ultimo. The fight
opened about eleven o'clock, A. NJ. and
closed at night. From the best infor.
nation | can gather, our forces num-
bered 10000, and that Of the enemy
10000. The battle was fought in
Chickahominy swamp, six Or seven
miles from Richmond. On the night
previous to the fight, we had a very
heavy fall of rain, which oyerfowed
the river covering the swamp, and low
grounds with water; and rendering the
roads almost impossible The enemy
were attacked in their camps, and drI-
ven from their position, leaving their
camps, a considerable amount Of amuni'
ton and army stores. Our brigade was
held in reserve, and was not let into the
fight until in the evening. We were
then sent to the right wing, where it
was thought the enemy would send a
heavy force to regain their camps, and
retrieve their lost fortunes, We came
upon their camps, when they immedi'
ately opened a heavy and Obstructive fro
on us from their batteries, We bad no
artiller7 to engage them, the nature of
our ground being such that We could not
use it. Gen Whiting seeing that they
were likely to make sad havoc Of our
men with their eight peices Of artillery,
first ordered the sixth North Carolihs
regiment to charge and take the battery,
they made the charge but we're driven
tack with heavy loss. lie then came
to the ! lth Mississippi, and asked US if
we would not take the battery the an
swer was "yes." Wewcre then thrown
into line and ordered 0 charger The
battery was half a mil distant, and be!
tween us and them was dense wood
and pond of wato. nearly waist deep,
covered with bushes and briers so that
it was almost impossible to get through
atall. During all of this time the
enemy were pouring the shot aud Shell
into us like hail. BY the time we reached
the field beyond, our lines was so badly
broken that we we're led back to reform,
when we were taken into open ground,
our line was Immediately reformed, and
lei to the charge the second time, but
this time through the open field. Col.
I4iddel sratched up the colors and asked
the boys to follow him. On we went
mid a perfect storm of bullets and shells,


We had advanced more than half
way, when there was a regiment Of the
enemy thrown down on our right. We
wers then halted and ordered to fire
after firing few rounds, we were or
dered to retreat. In this poslioa The
enemy had at least four to one, besides
battery of eight pieces. The prisoners
says the battery was guarded by fou
regiments, and these we're in trench S
1t was in this charge that we los 50
many men. On every side could We
see the wounded, dead, and dying, shot
aud mangled in every possible form.
We still held their ground that night,
sleeping in their camps. You can form
some idea of the fire we were exposed
to, when tell you we were not exposed
longer than an hour, & during this short
time we lost one hundred and ninety
five men killed and wounded. l will send
you list oftho killed and wounded of
our company. happened to be among
the number wounded. | was struck
Just before dark, by a ball, part of
the loading of she'll it entered my jaw
.nst by my ear, and passing between
my upper and lower jaw lodge before it
reached the corner of my mouth, had it
extracted the next evening, it will be
well enough in week longer, for me to
rejoin my regiment.


In the list of killed you will fud the
names of lily .'ant and George Hopkins,
two nobler victims never died for liberty.
w. J. FAINT is among the missing,
he was told that lily had fallen, he went
back after him and was either killed or
taken PRISONER Al! Of our wounded
are doing we'll. Matt. Sell is shot
through the breast. | saw him to-day
he is doing we'll, and | am in hopes he
will recover


Your brother,


JAS. D. FEEMSTER.