Carrion Crow Bayou, La.

Nov 4^th 1863.

 

My Dear Sister:

                        I will write you a few lines to night; And the first thing in order, of course, will be our battle of yesterday. It was election day and payday too. We had just finished voting and a few companies had been paid off. We were eating dinner and crack, crack, crack went the rifles on our right. We were not anticipating any thing more than a picket skirmish, but barely had time to form and move out a short distance from camp before we met them in force. We were—I mean the 23^d was—ordered to support the 96^th and 83^d Ohio. The 60^th and 67 Ind^a were sent to the left to guard that part of our camp. The 23^d had scarcely time to reach the point to which it was ordered / when pell mell came the 96^th & 83^d running in retreat. Genl. Burbridge was with them and as he neared us called out "Col. move forward into the ravine we have got into the hell of a hot place. Now 23^d do your duty." That was enough for the 23^d; Our loud yell went out for Genl. Burbridge and a second, fierce and angry, for the "rebs". then we leaped to our work. We held them at bay. But nearer and nearer they came until they flanked us and Genl. B. ordered us to fall back. We retreated a few rods to a ravine and rallied. The Rebs came as before. A second time we were ordered to fall back and a second time we rallied behind in a ravine the devils came again, and again we were ordered to fall back, when hello! the rebs we were in our camp having come in on the left: hence we made for the prairie and rallied the 4^th and last time. Now comes our turn a Brigade reinforces us. Genl. B. is still with us / but Col. Guppey was wounded where we first fell back and is taken prisoner Lt. Stanley is taken also. I am alone with the Co. We turn on them and drive them back over the same ground. We kill & wound three of them where they kill & wound one of us. But the rascals have taken the blankets, coats of all they could lay their hands on. Felix saved all of Stanley's and my stuff. Our blankets he rolled up in the tent. The tent has since been lost with the blankets. I thereby lose $12 or $13.00. If the other Brig. hadn't come up as it did we would all have been taken prisoners for once we were nearly surrounded. Prisoners of ours have since made their escape. Our Regt lost in killed wounded and missing 129. Killed 5. Wounded 21. Col. Guppey is not wounded badly; it is in the calf of his leg. Stanley is not wounded at all. He gave out & was taken. E. W. Ellis was wounded severely in thigh and taken. Since exchanged. / He is in our hosptl. Z. M. Palmer, George Dustin and M. E. Jopp Co. F. were taken prisoners. H. C. Stanley was wounded slightly in the left arm and Joseph very slightly in right shoulder, the shot having struck a button and glanced on to his shoulder. These two remained in the ranks all through the fight. They are not at all disabled.

 

Stanley, as well as several others, were wounded while at my elbow. You see the casualties in our Co. are severe. 5 taken prisoner, one of them wounded Two wounded slightly. I have written in a hurry. It is late and we move one hour before day tomorrow. The remainder of our regt was paid today for two months. I send $100.00 by express. It is all I can possibly spare now. It may reach home before this reaches you. I think we may fight again tomorrow. Others think differently. We are outnumbered. There is bad management. Our Regt of 206 fought against 2500 yesterday. If we don't fight we will fall back. We had started back /

 

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for Berwick and there we will go ultimately. I will write again soon as we can get into camp. I send you all my love. I pray I may see you again & send you a sweet kiss

                                                                                                           

Your Bro. Robt.

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