(Note #1)

 

Camp in the field beyond

Middletown Sept 21, 1864

 

Dear Sister

                        Thank God I am alive and well. The 19^th we fought an awful battle. Lost 194 in the Regt. killed wounded & missing In Co. K 2 killed 10 wounded, no Sandwich boy killed but several wounded Lt. Fiske killed—Webster wounded. Straw Jere Smith, E. H. Dole Giles Vittum Harrison Atwood W F Quinby all wounded. Tell father I am all right will write him soon as I can Tell Cap O.H.M. of this. Our Reg. suffered terribly from a cross fire of grape & cannister while charging the retreating & beaten force across an open field for a half a mile nearly, when we / had an order to retreat or all be killed. 'Tis a wonder any our escaped. The grape shot fell about us like hailstones 13 officers killed & wounded Col. Garner lately Major made Col. the day before the battle, was terribly wounded—probably mortally. Tell OHM Lt. Paul Cap Chaffin Lt Fiske are killed & Cap. Fosgate too. Lts. Colburn, M^cCurdy, Webster Sturtevant, Storie wounded Lt. Sargent either killed or wounded. O, Cap Berry is wounded, Cap. Riply, chief of Gen. Birges Staff was a real tiger so was Adjt Wright. I had unnumbered hairbreadth escapes or I am no judge I fired about 50 round cartridges, 8 of us (Co. K) encamped with the Reg. the first night. I was the only Sergt. Moson came in the next morn & Skinner afterwards. Cap Tolman commands the Regt.

 

[front overwritten]

 

Write to Abbie & Emma for me & James if you can we have the Rebs in our front & expect a battle any time

 

Yours

            Samuel

 

I was never better

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