Camp Wood

Dec. 26^th/61

 

My Dear Cousin

Your very welcome letter of the 21^st of Nov. I received on the 27^th which is nearly one month ago, a long time for a letter to remain unanswered, but I hope you will excuse me when I tell you that we have been very busy preparing to meet old Buckner.

 

Since I received your letter we have made three or four advances, building & repairing bridges as we move onward The rail-road bridge over / Bacon Creek that was destroyed by the rebels was rebuilt by our men and now provision can be sent by rail to a station within one mile of camp Our encampments extend to within half a mile of Green River. The rail-road bridge is also destroyed over this river. it has been a splendid wire bridge, being one hundred and twenty feet high, & three hundred & fifty feet long it is being rebuilt very rapidly, and as soon as it is ready for the cars to cross to carry our eatables we will then move forward and perhaps sooner 

 

            We came here the 17^th arriving in the evening Soon after we came we heard some sharp firing across the river. We were ordered to put on our acoutrements shoulder our guns & make for the field of battle in double quick indeed the men could hardly be kept back, but we arrived just in time to be to late, the rebels having come in the cars thought it was their best plan to get back as soon as they could The particulars of the fight I will try to give you. In the afternoon the cars came up from Bowling Green with two Regiments of infantry / one of Cavalry & a battery four Companies of a Dutch regiment went out to meet them (they being near that place) and then commenced the tug of war which was desperate as their was but four hundred of our men against three thousand of them besides their artillery they were driven from the field leaving Col. Terry & sixty privates dead on the field. While our men lost but eleven. I have spent one Christmas in old Kentucky. it was a holiday for us as we could visit the other encampments

 

Direct to Camp Wood Hart Co. Ky Care of Capt Miles Co. B. Col. Hambrights 79 Penna Regiment        

 

Give my love to all & write soon                                                                     

 

Your Cousin Will

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