Camp near Vicksburg Miss June 19^th 1863

 

M^rs M. E. Drake

I received a letter from you yesterday by the hand of Capt. Halden and I hasten to answer and give you all the information I can—your husband Henry B Drake was shot threw the head the ball passing threw the brain he died almost instantly surviving perhaps 15 minutes he did not speak a word to any one I was very close to him when he fell. that was about 5 oclock P.M. May 22^d we were ordered with other Regiments to charge the brestworks and fortifications of the enemy and we succeeded in getting within some 20 yds of their works threw a murderous fire from the enemy. the ondly wonder is that more of us were not killed. Billy Balch fell a few minutes after henry that was all our Company lost in killed Solomon Adcock was very badly wounded he can never Soldier any more—now concerning removing Henry’s body there are two impossibilities about. 1^st the position we gained was so situated and so near the enemy that about 11 oclock at night we were ordered to fall back leaving our ded on the ground we were glad enough to pass out in the best way we could there were some wounded in advance of us that we were compelled to leave poor fellows their groans are in my ears till yet and not a thing could we do for them. the next morning a party was sent under a Flag of truce to get the wounded and the dead but it was not respected the Rebels fired upon it so you see it was then impossible to do more. matters remained that / untill the 25^th making three days the bodies we left above ground they were then in such a condition that it was impossible to moove them they were buried where they lay—under a Flag of truce. I am truly sorry that we could not do better but you see from the circumstances that we could do no more on the night of the 18^th some three miles from here we camped after supper some four or five of us were in conversation about the probabilities of the Vicksburg fight and rather leaving requests with one an other what we wanted done in case we were killed Henry said he wanted that what things he caried in his pocket such as his knife pocket Book a likeness of you and his boy a hymn Book and bible &c should be sent home to you I do not remember that he said anything about his remains this was about 90 hours previous to his departure these things I have in my possession and will send them the earliest convinuance I sympathize with you in your affiction and wish that I could do more for you and his mother than write these few lines but under the circumstances it is impossible to ever think of having his remains brought home give my respects to his mother and your mother and her family I will close may the Lord bless you and preserve us all. yours in christian bonds

                                    W. B. Harris

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