Camp near City Point Va July 5th 1862

 

Dear Mother.

                        It is a long time since I have wrote a letter to you owing to circumstances which I shall explain, but yesterday I received a letter from you dated June 24^th, 26^th and 30 also 1 Travel and 2 flags and today I received one dated June 17, 19 and 22, and 1 Lowell paper and 1 Journal. We left the breast works before Richmond Sunday before last and marched in retreat down the railroad what for we could not tell but rumor had it that Jackson had turned Porters flank and had got posession of White House and that our supplies were cut off but we left the breast works gloomy enough. We expected to have some quick marching to do so we left our knapsacks but fixed them so that they were of no use to anyone. We marched down the railroad to Savage station where there was about 10,000 boxes of bread besides any quantity of sugar coffee rice molasses beef pork dried apples all set on fire we formed a line of battle to protect the wagon train and it was needed for we had been out of the breast 4 hours before the rebels were in them but they did not / attack us except with a few lines of artillery which we so put a stop to. About 3 oclock Gen Sumner (who had conducted the whole retreat from the breast works to City Point) ordered us (sedgwicks Division) to fall back to dispatch station about 3 miles which we did and formed a line of battle on a high hill overlooking the railroad and a large plain skirted with weeds The rebels commenced shelling at us about 5 oclock and our regiment was ordered to support a battery on the right where we could see all that was going on. at about ½ past 5 the 69 Penn formed a line on the brow of the hill. The colonel went out in front of them and said now my lads give it to them. and with an awful yell they started on a run down the hill across the plain to the edge of the woods Then the fight commenced, supports were immediately sent up and after about ¾ of an hours fighting the enemy gave way and fell back about ½ a mile That night we continued our retreat marching all night long at a very slow rate and crossed the chickahominy about 1½ miles from its entrance to the James river we rested about 3½ hours here and then marched about 4½ miles farther into a large open plain where another line of battle was / formed and the wagons again sent ahead. About 1 oclock we were ordered back (our brigade) to destroy all the bridges on the chickahominy. We had hardly got them blown up before they commenced fighting where we left we were ordered back to reinforce the rest of the division. we went back and formed a new line in edge of the woods like this

Mich    Mass    Mass    NY

7^th        20        19^th      42.       When we advanced up into the woods we saw a regiment, or part of one dressed like our men and supposed they were the 20 mass and so did not fire. When we were about 10 yards of them (it proved to be the 16 north Carolina) they jumped up a gave us two volleys before we knew what we were about. We broke and fell back to the edge of the woods where we again formed line and poured 2 volleys into them then it was all on your own hook I fired away 10 catridges the enemy fell back at dark and a party of 10 men from each company to bring in the dead and wounded. Prvt Hapgood was killed at the first fire shot through the stomach also two other men. We lost our beloved major shot through the breast died in about ¾ of an hour. Our Colonel was shot through the / leg and has gone home. the first Lieut of Co E was killed, and Capt Wass of the tigers was shot in the foot. Co I lost 10 men, killed and wounded We had to leave the wounded that couldnt walk in the hands of the rebels we retreated all that night and the next day and came to this place where we are under cover of the gun boats. We hear that burnside has landed above here and that the cavalry are in fair Oaks again but dont know how true it is. We have done a great thing whipped the rebels & without retreat fighting fresh troops every day and have taken 13 pieces of artillery from them. I will not say much about the matters contained in your letters but end this so as to send it to day. So good bye from your son

Geo. H. Patch.

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