Direct your letters to Finley Hospital.                       

Ward 5. Washington D.C.                             

 

Finley Hospital

Washington D.C.

May 12.

           

Dear Sister.

                                                I presume you would like to know what part of the world I am stopping in at present. So I will write a few lines just to let you know.

 

            I arrived here last night on the boat from Fredericksburg by way Belle Plain landing, too late rather to write, to say nothing about being tired.

 

            We have had a pretty rough time of it since we left Brandy Station last Wednesday morning. We crossed the Rapidan the same day at Germania Ford and stayed that night about three mile from there. Fighting commenced the next day about the middle of the / but we were not ordered in till about three in the afternoon. Co I. with two other companies from the regiment were sent out to skirmish on the right of the road, and the line of battle formed behind us The Brigade rested about an hour after forming in position, then the order was given to advance. almost as soon as we started the action commenced, being almost entirely infantry, the country being such that artillery could not be used. The right of the skirmish line kept on without meeting any thing long after the left had become engaged. in this way we swung around the hill where the rebels lay, clear way around on their left flank. we got stopped after a while though and then went at it. It was thick woods mostly small trees with a few big ones scattered in once in a while we took shelter behind these and kept up firing whenever a grey jacket showed him / self. about four oclock they managed to stick a ball into my left shoulder and I fell back to the rear in good order. In order that you may judge about how the bullets flew I will tell you that there are forty four bullet holes in my woolen blanket. Thats a fact.

 

            But for fear you may receive a wrong impression I will inform you that all these holes were made by one ball. the blanket was rolled up and strapped on top of my knapsack and after passing through my shoulder went clear through my roll. The man that fired it was probably pretty close to me. I slept that night at the Division Hospital. the next night we had to move, so I got no sleep. the next night we were on the move again and Sunday night we were on the tramp In the day time we lay still most of the time on account of the heat. Sunday night we were within three miles of Spotsylvania Court House that night / we started for Fredericksburg all the ambulances being filled with wounded besides miles and miles of the supply train, and the roads each side were taken up with those that were able to walk. we got into Fredericksburg the next forenoon filling the whole city with our wounded men the next day we got over the river and at night started for Belle Plain landing which we reached about eight oclock yesterday morning and then took the boat for Washington We are now on the very spot where we camped when we first came here nearly three years ago. This has been an awful campaign you have no idea what a sight of men we have lost. I do not think forty thousand will any more than cover the loss there must be thousands of wounded that will die that we had to abandon that could not be carried away. I was in the regiment Sunday. there had been none killed in the company then and none seriously wounded Gen Sedgwick I believe is dead I saw him Sunday about noon I believe he was shot that night

 

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Dont feel any alarmed about me I am getting along nicely no bones are broken I am thankful I got away as easy as I did. L. C. Cook.

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