In the Field    August 19^th 64

 

                                                            Dear brother

                                                            I again take up my pen to try and amuse you alittle in telling you athing or two the 18^th we were ordered to advance revalie sounded at 3 AM and we started at 5 it rained when we got up and did not stop untill night we had to march all day through rain in the mud it had rained every day for fifteen days so by this time it is rather mudy as you may suppose I went out and got a porker in the rain I shot it with my revolver 20^th it does not rain to day much I have got my blankets dry a gain by building a big fire donot move from camp untill evening when we hitch up and move about 1/2 mile across a swamp we do not get in to camp untill quite awhile after dark 21^st We marched about 2 miles to the front in battle line skirmishing all the time but did not have much of fight at all I saw one man in our skirmish line fall wounded he was struck in the breast  but the ball did not go draw blood its force was spent went into camp about 4 miles from Oxford here I got some potatoes but could not get a hog 22^nd We were ordered to hitched march at 8 AM we hitched up in the morning and waited 8 oclock came and wen ten came and went and then I thought I anwould goo ahead he aways I got another fellow and we started we went aways ahead and turned off the road and went across to another road and went into Oxford stayed there/ about 2 hours and started back to hunt the battery went back and found them as I had left them and there we stayed untill about 5 oclock when we started back and march back about 2 miles and went into camp where we left the morning before 23^rd We ordered to march at 5 AM toward the Tallahatchie river which place we reached about 9 AM and went into camp got dinner and 5 of us started out to get something to eat as we were on half rations we kept going untill we got out of camp about 8 miles all afoot when we heard artillery firing between us and camp we stoped held acouncil of war and we all come to the same conclusion that we was in a rather awkward position out there 8 miles with a rebel force between us and camp and them in camp fighting we all thought the best thing we could do was to get to camp if we could and as quick as we could too we did not like the idea of going into a rebel camp under guard We all got back safe after along old tramp for it we never found a thing in the eating line and to make it appear all right in camp and keep the boys from laughing at us for not geting anything we told them that we had got all we could carry of sugar and meat and flour and twenty five rebs got after us and we had to throw our stuff all away to make good our escape and they all believed it and we agoing to let them think so it was a closer place than I want to see again but we had all mad up our minds not to get scared untill we saw something to get scared at/

 

we have not had any rain three or 4 days and thing is getting dryed up alittle To day is the 24^th and I am on guard and it is allmost time to go on I in good health never felt better I donot know how long we will stay here in this place we may stay stay a week and we may go in the morning we donot know when we we go to bed at night what time we will have to get up pick up our things and travel to where our beds will be for the next night or whether we will have any chance to use any or not Now for the next 3 days we march back toward Holly Springs with nothing of interest occurring We arrived in Holly Springs the 27^th laid over there one day and marched on in toward Memphis marched to Cold Water the 28^th and now comes the 29^th the ever to be remembered day in battery G. We started in the morning about day light all feeling some of the boys felt like stragling a little to see what the could find that they wanted I kept with the battery untill afternoon then two of us started off the road I was mounted and the fellow that with me was on foot We traveled along as we supposed paralel with the road but but the road made a square turn to the right and left us We stoped and got something to eat at a house he said there had been no rebs about there we went on to another house about 40 rods from there and went in to the yard I had dismounted and my partner was rideing I went into one of the out houses and and pard sat bn on the horse talking with the women and he turned his/ Head and there sat a mister reb about 4 rods off with his revolver drawn ready to shoot but I suppose was prevented from fireing on account of the women My partner drew his revolver turned his horse and fired as he was comeing around but did not hit about that time I made my appearance pard sung out fire I had not seen the reb untill then I drew my revolver but the reb had started to run he was mounted I fired but did not hit him but he run for sweet life on inquiry we found that we was about 5 miles off the road so we started the other way about as fast as we could go I mounted the horse We expected to see the reb comeing back with reinforcements but he did not ever take us We had not gone far before we saw another mounted man in or behind a fence corner We both thought it more rebs so I being mounted rode on ahead to give pard a chance to get into the brush if it was rebs it was only a single horseman I rode up to him and told him he would have to dismount because of the rebs being behind us and my man on foot he did not seem to believe it but I talked to him like a dutch uncle it was that he should give up the horse or us our lives so I cocked my revolver and told he could have Hopkins choice either get off or stay on and I would shoot him off he thought he would rather get off some would call that high way robery but he was nothing but abush whacker without his arms We were both mounted then and we did not let the grass grow under our horses feet We had not gone far before we saw two more ahead in the road we had learned they were armed they only had one gun so we made them run and we had not gone much farther befrore we saw 3 more and they made us run about as fast as we could that was the last squad we saw but there was other boys out that did not fare so well there was 4 of our battery boys taken prisoners and I expect shot I have no hopes of ever seeing them again one was quarter master of the battery another was corporal and two privates all veterans There was one that was not a veteran with the two privates but made his escape they saw the rebs in time to avoid them but thought they were our men only the non veteran and he told them they were rebs and started to see and it was by that means that he got away from the rebs if the boys had taken this fellows advice they would not have been taken Oh yes one of our boys had a revolver shot off of him at when we were at Holly Springs the ball passed twice through the belt that he had the revolver on it just drew blood on him but went direct into his horses neck from the top side hed thought that that was very careless shooting it knocked him off his horse

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