Giesboro, D.C.           

June 28. /65

           

Dear Sister.

                                    We returned yesterday from the Wilderness and are now safe and sound in the U.S. again, having buried all the bodies we could find as far down the track of last summers campaign as Spotsylvania Court House

 

            Your letter came to me a week ago Sunday in the same camp that we were in when I wrote my last letter. One also came from Isabel, the printed one you mentioned in yours for which, as well as yours, I was very glad to receive. I was somewhat disappointed when the mail came as it had been an age almost since I had heard from home or from / anywhere else and only one letter came then. That was the only mail we had all the time we were away. A week ago Monday morning we moved our camp to Spotsylvania a distance of ten miles and went into camp in the woods inside the rebel fortifications. We staid here six days and in that time completed the work for which we came.

 

In our first yard we buried one hundred and eighty men in twenty one coffins. In the second were buried five hundred and ninety in sixty five. Each coffin being separate graves being ranged in regular order an equal distance apart ten graves in a row. Both these yards were in the Wilderness and were enclosed in a good substantial picket fence.

 

At Spotsylvania nearly all were buried but were on top of the ground. these / were covered over again deep enough that the rains will not be likely to uncover them again. all that were marked in any manner had good head boards put up The rebel dead were just covered and left with nothing to show who was buried there. Our camp here was in front of the place known as the "slaughter pen" where a deadly fire was kept up without any rest for twenty four hours. here was a grave yard already made of the men who were killed and buried on the spot where they fell, after the fight was over. It was here that Chamberlain of Co I. was killed though I could not find where he was buried. You can judge something of the force that was delivered by the Yanks from the fact that an oak tree two feet in diameter was cut down completely by it. The stump left standing has been cut down and the shattered and splintered end of the body of the tree cut off and both sent to the Patent Office in Washington. 

 

The families that are still living here are in a half starving condition as far as we have seen. Some of them that were lucky enough to have milk brought it to us to trade off for pork and bread, coffee, sugar, soap and everything we had in the shape of rations. some would not take money if they could get bread. Even the dogs are starving, almost nothing but skin and bones, and we had to look out for them or they would steal the meat out of our tents. A number of our fellows did lose it and had to do without until the next issue. We left Spotsylvania Sunday morning and reached Falmouth at two in the afternoon and the next day at half past ten got to Belle Plains, where we took the boat the next day and got into camp Stoneman yesterday afternoon

 

            I am glad to get back for we have been bitten and almost eat up with flies gnats, wood ticks, and all kinds of bugs and insects until I am almost raw from one end to tother with scratching, lice I guess

 

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were the only things we didnt have I got three letters yesterday, one from Mary one from Isabel and another from somebody else that didnt sign their name to it, but I think it was Soll

 

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My letters from some reason or other do not come through as they ought to. The one from the seminary has not come in sight yet, and I am afraid never will.

 

We have drawn new clothes today

 

Was there a captain in the 40 NY Regiment by the name of Wolcott who went from Milford I think there was I found a grave in Wilderness with that name on the board.

 

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Lanning has got back from his furlough

 

Who is that young gal going to be married to?

 

I shall write again in the course of a month or two.

 

I made a corps badge from the oak in the slaughter pen and if it will go in this letter I will send it. It is our new First Corps badge. Lowell C Cook.

 

June 29 We have had new potatoes today for dinner you had any yet.

SOURCES