[blue pencil: Wire]

Headquarters 148^th May 11^th 1864

Near the Appomattox River Va.

 

Dear Sister

                        I wrote you sunday but said nothing about where we were as I heard it was against orders. I will commence now give our journeyings since I last wrote

 

Mon. May 2^ond Co G had orders to go to James River. We guarded a dock there, thought we going have a fine time but the next day were ordered back to the Reg't.

 

The next day Wed. we had orders to be ready to fall in at 1 oclock with four days rations. We joined the rest of our brigade and marched to the landing on James river, where we had been doing guard duty. Found transports here waiting for us Got on board about 10 P.M. The boat laid here all night and the next day. we joined the rest of the fleet. It was a pleasant day. The fleet was a beautiful sight. The river was covered with steamers and gunboats as far as you could see, more than a hundred in all. Two monitors one two turreted also the Rebel ram Atlantry we took from the Rebs last year were along. We passed City Point about six oclock landed above the mouth of the Appomattox at a place called Bermuda

 

We were off the boat before dark marched out about ½ mile and camped The troops were landing all night & the next day. The next morning we took up our march. Marched about five miles and formed line of battle. The line reached from the App-x to the James. Went no farther that day. We were obliged to leave our knapsacks / at the landing where stopped our cooks are with them. Have not got them yet. have slept on the ground without any thing over me since till last night when I slept under a rebel bed quilt Have built us bush houses. About midnight we have to get up and warm. Some of the troops advanced and felt the enemy, found them 3 or 4 miles ahead on the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad. No general engagement, lost some in killed and wounded. The next day (Sat) our reg^t was on fatigue, chopping off the woods.

 

The weather is dreadful warm. Troops went out again to day and all the P.M. there has heavy firing in front. A great many sun struck. Our loss was very small as all the fighting was done by artillery. We drove them back, at night our troops came back to camp. Sunday no fighting all the troops remain in camp except the details for chopping. Sunday night we were ordered to have our canteens full & be ready to march by daylight Mon morn

 

Mon. morning all the troops were on the move. the 10^th A.C. & 18^th A.C. expected to find the rebs on the railroad but they did not appear. The road was torn up extensively. Our Regt now were to support a battery and were pretty near in the rear. Where we crossed the railroad a dead rebel lay on the ground one we had killed friday or Saturday. It looked pretty rough. his face was black as my boot, flies all over his face. Here we struck the Richmond & Petersburg turnpike. About a mile from here we halted two or three hours by a small creek. Two table were here where the rebs had dressed their wounded. A Rebel leg lay here they had left. Fighting had now commenced in front. We advanced a little further and stopped our battery commenced firing some. They fired over our troops in front. We were nearly on top of a hill and I think we lay rather close to the ground as the shells flew around pretty lively. All of the rest of our brigade were in front fighting. We were behind hill so we could not see them / I cant tell much about the fight but we whipped them well. The rebs charged our lines twice during the night but did not budge them an inch. The next morning we went back to the railroad and commenced tearing up the track. Bad luck met us here. one of our company got his leg broke off at the ankle so the bone stuck right out. The only accident we met with. The rebs attacked our right and we came back, were deployed as pickets and sharpshooters. We saw no rebs. I was with four men near a house. They had vacated it. It was nicely furnished had a splendid library. The soldiers had been there and ransacked it. I got a good bed quilt. Came back to camp last night Dont know much about the fight. You can see the newspapers. I must close soon as the chaplain is going with the mail. Our regt lost not a man. Had no mail since the 1^st of May

 

Love to all

           

Yours Affec'ly

C E Reed

 

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I have no time to look this over to see how many words I left out or whether you can read it I have written in hurry

 

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You will find a piece of telegraph wire cut from the Richmond & Petersburg line by myself 3 miles from Petersburg

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