Camp of the 6^th Ver^t Vols

Mt Crawford Va Sept 30^th

 

Friend Samuel

                        After haveing neglected to for some time I will try and answer your letter the fact is we have had but little time to write of late We have had some fighting since I wrote you last and in the fight at Winchester on the 19^th we lost 13 men in killed and wounded, quite a tax on our company. it was a hard fought open field fight and Early was fairley whiped on his own "dung hill" we lost / some good men. W^m Vaughan was wounded in the head with a shell. Sergt Breck was wounded in the hip with a musket ball. Vondle was mortally wounded. Sam Sastings was slightly wounded in the leg. Anthony was wounded in the saim plaise as before and has lost a leg Sergt White was mortally wounded in the head The one that was killed was a recruit his name was Spaulding. We have had orders to "pack up and be ready to move" we are going back to Harrisonsburg it is quite a pretty plaice. I think that Early and his army cannot be found. Many of the boys think we are going to Petersburg but do not think they know 

 

            On picket Oct 1^st 1864 I will at this once more I am on picket near Harrisonsburg. We fell back from M^t Crawford yesterday and the army is now laying near Harrisonsburg. before we fell back the cavalry burnt many barns with grain and many flouring mills but it is all for the Union, but it has commenced to rain and I must stop for now.

 

Oct 2^nd 1864   

We are on picket yet and last night was a rainy nasty night but we manedged with the aid of an old grub axe to get up a tent with a plenty of clean straw and I had a good nights sleep I let the boys relieve themselves according to their own / fancy. To day is a cloudy day looks like rain but hope it will not. We are all out of rations but the train is up and expect some from camp. we had orders to make three days rations last four but they delt us out a little flower wich went well. I have two boys from Co A that their time is out the 14^th of Oct and they are feeling good now you better believe and who can blame them. Now soberly dont you think that we have cleaned them Rebs out in good shape. I hope that Gen Grant will fix them at Petersburg and Sherman will do his part that one year will fix this little mash but I have no more time to write. Our cook is from camp he read that the rest of the Regt has gone out to hunt Geurillars.

                                                                                   

Yours in haste

Augustus Whitney

SOURCES