Below Vicksburg

Camp June 19^th 1863

 

            Dear Wife I am under obligations to you for another letter recd yes on the 17 while on the battle field or more propperly neutral ground that we were advancing over by skirmish which means men scattering out 2 or 4 together (& often only one as you know a good number had rather be alone) & advance behind any thing they can to shelter them from the enemys bullets Our whole Regiment was out & in fact the whole briggade for 24 hours It was the first advance on the left so we had much hard work to do such as digging rifle pits & makeing shelters from shell when they burst over our heads as they frequently do only 3 of our Reg. was wounded by the enemy & 2 by them selvs 2 is severely hurt I think not dangerously one is the / the son of Sam^l Brown brother in law of Dan^l M[?] a ball passed in near or below the nipple & out back of the arm so that it went in the hollow of the boddy & it is feared cut the lung a little This I saw just a few minutes ago he seems to be doing well he says it does not pain him much Moulton & 3 others carried him of the field I helped part of the way One was shot through the thick part of the thighs just below the hip the ball lodged at the shin one was shot in the hand Bellfield Fuller run his bayonet in his thigh [faded] from a shell perhaps 200 feet from him but they sound close by them

 

My company had a verry nice shelter from the Rebs all at their expence only scared some of the boys a little so they obeyed my order to move to another place for safety that I pointed / out after which 6 or 7 exploded right over our heads & where we had been laying it put me in mind of a lot of quail that had been scared There are few hurt though serious it may be but there are some remain yet I admit there is not much room in the shelter only for the [?] of some of the [?] not one of the [?] withstand the [?] on to a sharp [?] as sharp shooters & lay there until next morning working all night or standing in line & sleeping on our arms but no attack was made we were all tired out & I was very unwell but feel better now

 

a few men from each Co went forward & took one of the enemies rifle pits & 4 prisoners there were 7 of them 3 escaped they or one said they were living on ½ lb corn & pea meal & small allowance of meat 2 others said they had plenty & enough / to last 6 months the large majority say they are verry short of provisions They have plenty of guns of various sizes & know how to use them but I think they are verry scarce of ammunition as they are verry cautious about firing any more than seem absolutely necessary & indeed at times when they might do us much harm we fired many times at them in their pits in fact evry time we could see them move but at a distance of about 4 hundred yards I think or that range carried our shot to their works they shot verry near us often hitting the stumps or logs we lay behind or driling the bank we lay on though many whized over our heads & made us duck a little; several of the boys have the diarrhea & a few in the Reg is sick Our cannon back of our camps that we have just planted have opened on the rebels as I write but I think have got no reply yet they moved the first guns they opened on  us well away from the fort we were nearest to the first night so we are closing in on them some but there are plenty of room to close in yet I do not think there will be any charge made for their works in gradual advances some ar

 

[side and top margin]

 

[?]ing up to them & will [?] & blow them up some of the Rebels works are ready now to be blown up so I am told I have saw some of them [?] Ross & Howell & Conklin & others they are [?] from us near the center of the line

 

[front side margin and top through written]

 

I cannot write all the particulars so I will close & write again ask the others to excuse me if I do not write as often as when I was in camp doing nothing & you can tell them the particulars of news I think it may be a long while before this place is taken or it may soon fall either is possible or probable it is very strong indeed both by nature & art has added men

 

we have got but one mail since we left Rolla the one I got from you was written on the 2 & 4 mailed on the 5 also one from Mary & benjamin but I think they will begin to come soon now

 

I live in hope to see you even if you do put on airs oh what a forked tongue stinger or [faded] good [?] & let the other go only to note first on one & show its effects I will write more again at present I must close as I am tired & my back aches so I had a plaster put to it to day It is easier now so good by my love is for you & my respects for all I hope you are getting along well O Barnard

 

I have seen the weather as warm there as it is now here we have fair water we have deep wells about 10 ft deep all along our line

           

again my love to Sarah

SOURCES