Washington Co. Md.

Sunday Sept 21/62

                       

Dear Sister

I now take this opportunity to let you know that I am well at present and hope that this will find you the same. The rest of the boys are well only John is complaining a little but he is still able to eat hard tack and beefsteak yet. I suppose that ere this you have heard of the battle of South Mountain and Sharpsburg.

 

Well I have been through both, and came off with / out a scratch, and so did all the rest of the boys that went from South creek. Mary, you must excuse me for not answering your last letter. I received it to Warrenton, and had hardly time to read it before I had to fall in and march off. I was in 13 days fighting from the Rappahannock river to Manasses without a days or whole nights rest, and you may suppose that I have not had much time to write. I rec'd a letter from Wallace a few days ago and he said the folks were all well, but / he had not heard from you or Jane in a good while. I have seen some of the men out of the 45^th P.v. but I have not seen William or any of the boys that I knew. I saw some of the boys that had seen him and he was well. Albert Chase is in the 141^st P.v. they are in the vicinity of Alexandria I think that the Rebels are about cleaned out of Maryland. The battle of last Wednesday was in about 2 miles from the Potomac and during Thursday and Thursday night they crossed the river and left their dead and wounded on the field. / There was some two or three hundred of their wounded fell into our hands they had been carried to the river and had to be left. Well I will have to write a few lines for George. Mary, tell him that I have not time to write much about the particulars of the fight but you can tell him that the Graybacks lay as thick as the sheaves of grain lay on any field that he ever bound up grain on. but I must stop for this time. Direct as before. give my love to all inquiring friends. D. Chase.

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