Year: 1862

LETTER FROM THE srz VIRGINIA
REGIMENT


CAMP IN THE WooDs.


CuLPEFPER Co. VA, Aug. is, '62.
DEAR BRorHER: 1 received your


letter yesterday, and was truly glad to


hear from home. As you can see by


the date Of this, We have again moved


our camp, having arrived at our present


position yesterday evening. We are


now about l2 miles from the town of


CDlpepper, which is pretty much of a


place, and connected, I believe, with


Washington city by railroad. Doubt


less you have seen an account of the
battle which took place seven miles


from this town on the 9th. Our bri-
gsde was not in it, but we got up close
enough in the evening to hear the mus
kerry, and it certainly was the heaviest
1 ever heard; the best description l can
give Of it is to compare it to fifty
wagons going at rapid rate over hard
and rough road. We heard the mus
kets when about seven miles away, but
the artillery we heard great deal fur
ther, and nearly all day. We left
Sperryvile little after dark on the 9th,
and marched till after sunrise on the
9th, and were then IS miles from the
battlefield. We then rested two hours
and half. l went to sleep at least q
dozen times while marching along the
road. After eating our breakfast
Crackers and coffee and taking nap,
we were again put on the march, and
notwithstanding it was very warm we
managed to move along till we got
within about two miles of Culpepper
G. H., when we stopped and rested
again for about two hours, and eat din
ner (crsckers and water, and neither
article in abundance. We then
marched to town, through it to the
south side, stacked arms, eat supper,
(crackers and water.) After supper
we turned back and marched about q
quarter Of mile on the same road we
had come, and then took another road.
Just after turning back we met our
provision train, and were halted long
enough to get something to eat, but not
long enough to eatit. By this time twas
dark. After dark we marched about
four miles and halted for an hour or so,
to give us time to eat and sleep little.
We eat our bacon raw, with crackers
and water, because we hadn't time to
make fires and cook It and get any
sleep After about Au hours rest We
marched two miles further, and within
mile Of the backgrounds. where they
were still fighting. 1t was now about
IL o'clock, and / went to sleep listen
ing TO the hiss Of the balls and shells,
which we could hear very plainly.


The next morning there was a little
skirmishing among the pickets. On the
9th the rebels got the best Of the 6ght in
the forenoon, but when Banks was re-
inforced they turned it the other way.
Pope commanded in the afternoon, or
at least was told so. l heard that
Gen. Banks was severely hurt by his
horse throwing and jumping on him.
Nothing can convince me but that the
secesh suffered most in this fight, but
our loss was very heavy. have
heard it said that they lost FIVE killed
to our one. Yesterday on our march
here we passed over the battle ground,
and in some places the stencil from the
dead horses was intolerable. At one
place where the rebels had a battery,
counted eleven dead horses, and at
another there were from Is to 20 in
sight, and I could not tell how many
graves Of men. / did not see where
the most Of the rebels were buried, and
where the hardest lighting was done.
The rebel graves l saw were most bru-
tally done. In one place lot Of them
were laid together on top Of the ground,
and then DIRT dug up on each side and
thrown over them. but not enough to
cover them up entirely. and some were
not baried at all, but left where they
fell. Our men we're decently buried,
and in many places boards were placed
at their heads, on which were their
names, regiment, and State.


You want my advice about enlisting.
Well, hardly know what to say. L
do not believe you can stand it, but you
predicted the same thing Of me. Ex-
posure hardens me. while it gives you
colds, &C., and ] give you my word for
it, we have exposure enough. If you
do enlist. never expect anything but a
hard time, and you may possibly be
agreeably disappointed once in while;
but if you are going, go at once.
can neither tell yeu to go or stay. Inc
country needs men undoubtedly and


YOU say they need you at home


Where you think they need you most


90. would have gone into the army


sooner. had not felt ! was needed at


home as bad as the country needed me.


We are having plenty to eat now, and
/ am enjoying excellent health.


We were told yesterday when We
got here that the rebel army was about


three miles from here, but / do not


know how true it is. have received


three Journals since leaving sperryVille.


Your sffectionate brother,