Below Richmond May 22^d 1864

 

Dear Sister Abbie:—

                                    You are the one that is writing most of the letters to me and to-day while quiet reigns I will try and write one to you. This is the first day of rest we have had for some time and all are very thankful for it. Night and day 'till to-day we have been either fighting or shoveling. As soon as we get turned in at night and fairly asleep firing commences on some part of the line and then we have to fall in and remain under arms for an hour or two, have to turn out every morning before four o'clock and remain under arms untill the fog clears away. The rebels are in our front in force and have made several demonstrations on / our lines but thus far with very poor success. Our brigade is now on the left quite near the gun-boats and the attacts are made most of them further to the right. Last night a little past ten o'clock the 3^d Div. of the 10^th Corps was attacted with great fury the rebels appearing determined to break our center—they were driven back with heavy loss while we hardly had a man injured. To-day there has been but little fighting. Now that the smoke has cleared away and we are able to see just how things stand we are much better satisfied with last Mondays work. Our brigade lost heavily and was forced back in some confusion but not 'till after we had given the enemy a deadly fire and the only wonder is that we were not all killed, wounded or taken prisoner. The right of our line was forced back as I stated in my first letter but it was / soon formed in a better position where our artillery could help us when the enemy were quickly driven back with heavy loss. I think our Gens. acted wisely in falling back to this strong position where they can still annoy the enemy and yet be safe from any force Lee may attempt to hurl against us. At first we felt a little anxious about the report our Gen. Butler would send North concerning the right being broken. We knew that we did our duty but feared the report might be "fell back for some unaccountable reason". There were rumors of this the next day after the battle but Northern papers have arrived and we are glad to find that justice has been done us. We have been well to the front in every fight and skirmish thus far and I believe have always been found at our post. There is not another brigade in the 18^th / Army Corps that has done the amount of work that this one has. Heckman has the name of being a fighting Gen. and he is, and when a point was to be carried he was quite sure to have a hand in it. He has his faults but is as brave a man as ever lived. He has been heard from and is in Richmond. John Patch who I have mentioned in my letters home is missing and probably is a prisoner. I missed him in the woods just as we were falling back and he has not been seen or heard from since I stated that we went into the fight with 130 men. I was mistaken, it was 175 or near that number—half of this number are either killed wounded or missing. The N.Y. Herald of the 19^th gives quite a full and correct account of the battle and if I can get a copy I shall send it to you. I think it gives a fuller account than you will find in the weekly Tribune.

 

We have been quite fortunate as regards rations having had a full supply nearly every day. It has been hard tack and pork day in and day out but we find no trouble whatever in eating it. We now hope to get a few potatoes and beans—are to have a stew for dinner I believe—we are to have fresh beef as often as possible I believe. It is quite warm but the troops are not suffering as they did the first few days. So much work both night and day makes us somewhat tired just now but after resting a day or two we shall be all right again and ready to move forward when the time comes for us to do so.

 

            Yours of the 12^th came in due season and though short was gladly read. You ask about Mr. Small. I have not heard a word from him since he first landed in N.O. and I have not written to him for some time. He would be pleased to receive a note from you and would / answer it if he was situated so that he could. I am greatly obliged to Hattie for writing to me. I was much interested in her letter and shall answer it as soon as I possibly can. My kind regards to her. Should you receive a letter mailed in Richmond don't be surprised for I sent two or three envelopes up there with your name on them. I had a small blank book, half a doz. sheets of paper and one or two letters rolled up in my spare shirt and the package is now in the hands of some rebel soldier I expect. I hope the clothes will do him good. I can get along quite well without them. We have news from Grant as late as Wednesday last. Our lot may be a little hard but theirs is much harder— the boys of the Potomac Army. They do not fight a battle now and then but every day. The rebels know that if they are driven from Richmond their days are numbered and they are terribly desperate—loss of life is nothing with them if they can but carry the day. I have just mailed a letter to Homer so will not send this for a day or two

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