Year: 1862




IN THE BATTLE AT PITTSBURGH.


The following should have appeard last
week, but was crowded out -


PIrrsDURaH LANDING, April 10, '62.


DEAR FRIENDs.--I take my pen this
morning to write you a hurried account
of the Pittsburg battle, and also to let
you know that l still live, and did not
receive the slightest wound, except one
ball came so near me that it took with it
lock of hair just above my ear. while
hundreds of my comrades were shot dead
by my side or torn and mangled and left
to die the death of the brave. The bat
tie commenced on Sunday at day break,
and lasted till dark. There was not one
moments cessation of the firing of rifles
and muskets, and our cannon were giving
them she'll all day. Our regiment came
into the fight about s o'clock in the morn
ing, and, Oh, my God how the bullets
did whistle in among us. Twill bet that
our regiment fought against five of the
rebels, but in spite of all we ceuld do
they drove us back. The bullets came
where laid, giving the one shot every
minute like hail. More than fifty bull
let's came within four inches of my head.
1t made me think the careless dis did
not care if they did hit some one. l saw
them falling dead all around, but kept
firing my rife and did not have time to
think that they could kill me, but the
balls came very near me; they went into
the ground right by the side of my face.
But father, when you tell about smelling
the powder in battle, and not liking it,
| dou't agree with you, for | like to
smell the powder, but to hear the balls
come so thick, is no fun at least. Well
we retreated back slowly all day; at
night the whole army was driven back s
miles, and the dis occupied our camp
Sunday night, but the fun of it was, old
Beauregard told his men that after two
hours fighting he was going to water his
horse at our landing. Well they laid
within one and half miles of us, but in
the morning we went at them, and Of all
the slaughtering that was ever done, we
done to the miserable wretchcs that day.
The ground was covered with their dead
bodies, and it was horrid to hear the
groans Of the dying. We followed them
until we drove them out of our camp;
then the cavalry drove them 10 miles be-
fore the next morning Our regiment
was engaged three times when we came
up to gun shot. We lost 200 as good
men as VIC had, dead and wounded. Our
colonel had two horses killed under him,
and at last was badly wounded; it is
thought by some that he cannot live.
Our colonel, whose name is Davis, is a
brave man. in the time of the battle he
was encouraging u.s. and telling us to
give it to them and doing all he could for
the cause for which | fear he will lay
down his life. l don't think | could
swear that killed any, but gave them
600 shots out of my rife and had some
good aims and l held my gun as steady
as if l had been firing at squirrels, and
was not at all excited. After the fight,
and we had picked up our dead and
wounded which we could not get away in
the time of the fight, went over the bat
tie field. The first man I saw was one
that had slept with me ever since VIC had
been in the army. He was shot in the
top Of the head. There was some 35 Of
our men laid dead on the ground. /
walked on until / had to stop or walk on
the mangled bodies Of the dead, killed
with the shells. They had been there
from Sunday morning, and they smelt
like carrion; also the ground was strewed
with dead horses, and all kinds Of bag
/ ~ a 4 vi E. - vi


gage carried in war, by armies. All the
ground went over, there was 5 rebels
to 3 Union men. The rebels said we did