Suffolk Va     

May 28  63

 

Respected Parents.

                        Your last I received while on picket 15 miles from here. A week ago Saturday we left camp on an expedition under Gen Corcoran. the object of it was to guard the Rail Road while the working party tore up the rails. the force consisted of 16 Regiments of Infantry in number from 8 to 9000 men, Four Batteries and one Reg of Cavalry we marched to the Deserted House 10 miles the first day. I will give a little history of this house before I finish the letter. on Monday night Co C & E were sent on picket on the South Quay road 5 miles south of the Regiment / Tuesday morning at 3 oclock we had to fall back 3 miles after blockading the road. on Tuesday night we were relieved and joining the Reg we started Wednesday night for Windsor 7 miles from the Blackwater Bridge where we remained until Friday afternoon when we marched 4 miles nearer Comapny G was thrown out on picket and soon had some skirmishing but the darkness soon put a stop to it. everything was quiet until Saturday afternoon. Co. C. was thrown out as skirmishers with Co K as reserve. about 4 oclock the firing commenced & soon became quite hot, and the Rebs formed and charged on us we fell back on the Reserve. we soon advanced again with Co. B. as support and with a few shell from our Battery, they were soon out of hearing. / the men were posted 5 paces apart and the woods were so dense and the underbrush too that we could scarcely see each other. our Co took two prisoners. I have one of their muskets. fortunately we had no one wounded. A Company from the Michigan Reg. posted about ½ mile from us had their Captain wounded by his own men he went in front of them through the swamp to find the position of the Rebs and it being quite dark as he returned his men could not distinguish recognize him and 4 of his men cocked and fired and before he could say anything the bullet had entered his arm at the elbow. he was brought to Suffolk. his arm amputated. He since died from it. We were called in at 7½ oclock and the whole force moved back to Windsor / this was Sunday night. remained until tuesday afternoon 3 o'clock started for Suffolk where we arrived at 12 at night. upon the whole we had a pleasant time and eleven days passed off very quickly. we are all well.

 

The Deserted House is spoken of in the Story of Dred or the Great Dismal Swamp. It was also the scene of the hanging of 60 or 70 slaves at the time of the Nat Turner insurrection in 1835. we burned it. it has been deserted since that year for the reason as is said that the ghosts of the negroes haunted it. I have got some pieces of it. it was once a very pretty place. we burned all the houses or all those that were not occupied on our route. sent in some 15 or 20 negroes. I can write no more at present. The accident that was reported is untrue it was the 10 N. Jersey regiment

           

With Regards to all

and Love to the family

I remain your affectionate

Son Albert.

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