A Merry Christmas to you all hope you will enjoy your selves I would like to be with you but I will have to declare this is miserable ink dont believe you will be able to read this

            J. S. Winans                                                                           

 

Camp Pierpont

Tuesday 24^th/61

 

Dear Father

You will perhaps think strange that I have not written sooner, I did write a letter the 21^st but did not get it finished in time for the mail that day and I had to go out on picket next day consequently it was not sent.

 

You have heard of our victory before this and I suppose heard [faded] of different stories related to it. I was rather fortunate not to have any part in the fight. I had not been very well for a few days and the Dr thought I had better stay in camp. We did not expect to have a fight when the brigade went out but it seems that Gen Ord is a fighting man and was determined to have a fight if there were any rebels to be found. / There were engaged in the fight [faded] Brigade (the 10^th 12^th 6^th 9^th), the 1^st Pa Rifle Regt (the Bucktails) & Co. A. of the 1^st Artillery.

 

The papers give various accounts of the engagement but [faded] near right except the Philla Inquirer and that had some mistakes in it as the part said to have been performed by the 6^th the 9^th done. The charge was made by the 6^th but the 9^th done the most hot work. The report of the killed & wounded which [faded] which Regt was in the hottest part of the fire. the numbers reported killed and wounded is far too small our Regt alone had 2 killed on the field one (Silas B Newell of our Co.) who died the [faded] and 21 wounded most of our men were wounded in the legs. the Rebels fired low many balls fell short.

 

As near as I can learn the 1^st Rifle Bucktails did the most [faded]. The 9^th was marching through the woods in line of battle when they came to a hollow which was cleared from 20 to 50 yards wide and they discovered a large body of men in a thick pine woods opposite They were going to fire when the word ran along the line that they were Bucktails. Our men drew back and some one asked if they / were the Bucktails. they answered [faded] it was hard to tell what to do and in a minute or two they gave us a tremendous volley from one end of the line to the other, wounding a number but most of their balls fell short. our right wing was within 25 yards of the  rebels and suffered most The left was covered and suffered none. Our men gave them a heavy volley and fell back on the right. Our Co was about 20 yards from the enemy and the fire was low and but one wounded (Capt Davis

 

When the Co fell back there were a few men who [faded] among them were Henry Blanchard, Math Fulton, Sam Veyon, Bob Lemmon & Moses Broad. Blanchard at one time stood alone some 10 or 20 paces in advance of the rest of the co. except those mentioned but they were some distance to right of him he was entirely unarmed but he stood nobly and supported the colors during the entire fight he received  today a present of a pair of gloves which were sent out by a lady to be presented to the bravest man in the battle.

 

Everybody speaks highly of the courage & bravery of Math he was had his [faded] / were in advance of the others and made every shot tell [faded] soldier and has attacked the other line of the Field officers and would have [section faded]

 

of Rebel cavalry off about 1000 yards gave them a parting volley and marched to camp. This is the first victory we have gained on the Potomac. I think that I will be on hand the next time. Night before last was the hardest duty I have ever had, was out on picket, it was cold all day and sat in raining and snowing, in the evening it was so cold that it made ice on the timber and trees. We had no shelter except some huts made of pine logs & sufficient to keep off the wind it rained all night we had green fire wood to burn and the rain put out our fires

 

We came in next day wet to the skin and quite cold. The boys had hard work to keep warm last night their blankets were still wet and it was a very cold night. It is very cold to night wood is not good and not very plenty

                                                                       

Your affectionate Son

[faded]

SOURCES