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                                                                                                Sharpsboro Maryland

                                                                                                Tuesday afternoon Sept 23d

 

            Dear Sister.

                                    I have just received written me berth day I was rejoiced to hear from you once more I did not receive your letter previous to this. I suppose it must be on the way some where one the way with the rest of my letters from home. Your letter dated the 18^th was the first letter that I have received since we left Arlington Heights.

 

You see by the date of this letter that we have made a little move since I wrote you last. We were at Fort Filinghast when I wrote you last . Soon after written you we recd/ a nother move down and encamped near fort Albany with the expectation of going into it to drill on artilery

 

            We did not remain there long however two or three days prehaps, just long enough to get settled down and rested a little We had orders to pack up 2 weeks ago last night The orders came about 2 o’clock on the night. We had to leave our knapsacks behind we took nothing but our blankets and our kno haversacks with two days ration and cooking utinsels with us and started without knowing where were were going. We passed over the river into Georgetown and over in to Maryland by the time we had marched a day or two we made up our minds/ that they were agoing to put us on the track of old Jackson. Our [?] over here in Maryland lay thro Middletown, Ridgevill, Fredrick Merchanicsville. You can easily trace out our course by looking on the chart of Maryland. We are now encamped in a splended grove of white oak. we are 10 or 12 miles from Harpers Ferry, and within only a mile of the Potomac I went down and had a nice bath in it the other day, and swam across it on to the Verginia shore. We have had a long hard march sence we left Arlington Heights.

 

We have marched over 100 miles from where we started from I should think I stood the march first rate have not seen a sick/ day yet. As soon as we passed through Frederic City we came in sight of the a band of 8 hundred Rebels prisioners on the march to Was. They were the first Rebels prisioners that we have seen It was on my berth day. They were the a hard looking sight I can assure you. Their uniform is nothing but a comon dress of derty gray The have seen the efects of this treable battle fought here last The battle ground extends all the way from Fredric to this place. We crossed the battle field where last week fighting took place. A great many of the Rebeles lay unburied that was on Sat./

 

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The sight of the dead as they they lay blackning in the sun was a loathsome and sickning In many places along the road and fences and in the cornfields the dead lay in corn rows.

 

It has been aterri bul battle from the commencement to the end. I have not learned the particullers of the battle yet as we get no papers here but I shuld judge the Rebels got the worst of it as they met with a heavy lose. We came prettie near near getting them penned up but the old trater Jackson has made his escape once more.

 

            We were at Ridgeville when the battle was fought. Our Col. was unwilling to lead us/ into a battle so soon. So through Gods mercy we were spared from being cut up.

 

We are now joined to Rickets division Hartsuff Brigade they left us at Ridgeville and went on and joined the battle. We are in a reserve Core and shall not be likely to do much fighting unless to reenforce.

 

It seems then that Ed. Fisk has enlisted at last. Well done for him. Blue hill has done well has she not in sending Volenters. I was glad they did not have to draft. I suppose I must bring this letter to a close as is most time to mail it. We are now under marching orders and may

 

[margin] leave to march any any moment where to we do not know Direct your letters the same as before to Was. and they will come without any trouble I wish you would send me some papers when you find it convenient. Love to all from Bro. Albert

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