Boonsboro, Maryland.

July 9 1863.

                                   

Dear Sister.

                                                I have this afternoon received a letter from you and had ought to a second as it is due I found a picture in it of Ma which I am very glad to see I think she looks some older than she did two years ago, and thats the case with nearly all that I have seen of folks from home. Eva and Ham Wilcox look about the same as of old. I should like to send mine home to Ma if I could have it taken to see if she thinks I have altered any. I wish Pa's had come too so I could have seen them both together and told you how they looked. 

 

I suppose you will want to know what we have been about lately and why I have not written sooner. I have not had many chances to write and there has been no mails left here since the one that took my last letter to you. We packed up on the night of the 1^st at eight oclock and started for Gettysburg Penn. marched six miles out of our way and arrived at the place (or as near to it as we could get) at four oclock the next day, thirty five miles without resting over fifteen minutes at a time except once for dinner. the two last miles we went on the double quick in line of battle. There had been pretty sharp fighting for the two hours past and we were wanted in case of need. we lay in line of battle that night and slept like logs. The next morning as soon as fighting commenced we began to move. I think the whole of the Sixth corps were divided and sent to various parts of the field but / I dont know certain. our brigade was separated from the Division, and were left running from right to left all day. when the rebels massed their forces at any point we had to go so as to oppose them in case they proved too strong for the regular line of battle. For an hour or two in the fore noon there was a lull in the firing. we at the time were lying in a nice piece of woods on the right all at once we got orders to move out as quick as possible. we had hardly done so when the rebels opened the most awful fire I ever heard from several batteries massed so as to rake the woods. we had to go about fifty rods right through it the air was filled with pieces of shell the whole time three of our regiments scattered like sheep and took the best way they could find. the other regiment was nearly beyond the range of the shells when they began to rain on us and kept on in good order, but they lost over twenty men. we lost one man in this regiment both legs taken off. lots of horses were killed / The Fourth of July we passed on the battlefield on picket It smelled so bad we had to move the bodies away from around us I saw the path where a rebel division charged one of our batteries. It looks as though a whirlwind had passed through a forest sweeping everything before it. They came out of the woods in two columns quite a distance apart and came together at a point when, nearly to our guns, none of them went back. the living were taken prisoners those that fell lay there marking the paths they passed over. This has been a curious battle. the lines were in curious shape. the rebel lines closed around us like a horse shoe. no cannon were lost or captured but any quantity were dismounted and caissons blown up certainly six thousand prisoners taken and among them several Generals. It has rained here all the time since the fight and we have been wet with rain and sweat all the time but everyone is in nice spirits good news comes to us every day Vicksburg has surrendered at last and only think on the anniversary of out National Independence I think Pemberton held out purposely as

 

[written through upside down]

 

till that time to surrender it that day. We marched from the field to Emmitsburg and staid a few hours to sleep yesterday we passed over the Catoctin Mountains to Middleton and today we had an easy march here. Lee has been splendidly whipped hasnt he I suppose he will be able to cross the river into Virginia but he will not have more than half the numbers he had when he entered this State. I suppose it will not be possible to capture his entire army

 

I am in first rate health tough as a bear I swapped my overcoat for a breakfast the other morning. got rather hungry and had nothing to eat except tin plate and rubber blanket. that's paying rather high for a meal 6 or 7 dollars but I had carried as far as I could. I think this Army need not be laughed at any more after what it has done lately in the shape of marching and fighting The rebels do not seem to laugh as much at us as they used to.

 

[verso, continued]

 

I suppose if I should write till midnight I should not tell you half what I should like to When I have a good deal I want to write I cant write anything I want to. I never can think of it for some reason or other I can not write much more tonight for the sun is most down and I have got to get something to eat. Give my respects to all I am much obliged to Ma for her picture and will try to be a good boy to pay for it. Send on Pa's the next time if you please There is a hundred things I shall think of after I send this that I cant now. Good night Lowell C Cook.

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