Chattanooga

Dec 2^nd 1863

                       

Dear Mother

                         I seat my self once more to write you a fiew lines in answer to your letter of the 28^th and i was hapy to hear from you being well and i received them socks and gloves you sent me and am very thankful to you for your kindness they came in a good time. well they has been a nother battle here and i am hapy to tell you we gained a great victory on our side we captured 55 pieces of artilery and not less than 6 thousand prisoners and it may reach 15 thousand when they are all summed up the battle commenced on the 24^th our men stormed loockout mountain and drove them of but had to fight all day and most of the night and the 25^th General sherman had marched up the North side of the river with a good force and crossed / and attacted them by suprise and then the old army of the cumberland advanced on to mishionary ridge and toock it and captured 52 pieces of artillery our brigade was the luckey brigade a gain we was held in the forts as a resurve in case our men was defeated and drove back we had a nice view of the first and seckond days battle it was an awful sight to see 52 pieces of artilery playing on our troops all at one time while our men was climbing the ridge but our men never halted the least and when they reached the battereys they give three yankee cheers they lossed pretty heavy and shermans corps lossed stil more our men drove them from evry position they toock our men compelled them to burn their camp equipage our men folowed them to ring gold where they thought they had the advantage and would / drive us back and they made a hard stand but all in vain our men would climb up the hills where they would have to throw one leg a round a smaul bush to study him so he could fier and our men drove them from that wheather our men are stil folowing them or not i cant tell our brigade was ordered out two days a go i was left as gard it was suposed they was going to stevens gap to keep any of the reble cavelry from making a raid back on our trains they started with 4 days rashions how soon they will be back i dont know the boys was in great spirits this is the only time our army here fought them with the same number that they had and they had the advantage of the ground here but we have give it to them this time. the weather here is very cold but dry i received a letter from walter and answered it i am glad he is doing so well lett me know if he stil owns that colt of his or if it died with / ugliness. well you was wanting to know how John Boyle Dan Shearer Johnson Reed Robert Smith is they are all well they steamboats are runing to this place now i will close as i hant mutch to write i will give you the full details as soon as i get them

 

my love to all and write soon

Abram Kipp

SOURCES