Camp of 33^d Mass Vols near

                                                                                    Stafford Court House Va May 9^th 63

 

Sister Lydia

                        I received your letter of May 3^rd last night, after a some what fatguing march of 10 days part of them was used up in skermishing with the rebels. We broak camp April 27^th and May 1^st we arrived in rear of the “rebs” at Freadricksburg and was allready for the scamps. They came up on our Right flank and drove the 1^st and 3d divisions of the 11^th corps this was saturday afternoon Our brigade was on picket and got out of the scrape The 11^th Corps driving back in rear of the centre which was composed of the 12^th and 3d Army Corps Sunday morning instead of going to Church in Braintree I went to one of the kind of meetings that we hold out here sometimes The speakers were all extemporious for big guns spoak out in thunder tones death to rebels Shells chimed in and said clear the track the union is coming and Musketry helped fill the intervals by Zip! Zip! Zipping The rebels came on drunk with confidence and bad wiskey. Our guns mowed them down in heaps. They fought like old Nick from 5 AM until 12M and then put for the woods. We have heard that 18,000 of them was put hosse de combat. They came very near breaking through our center but Old Joe had to many guns for them We recrossed the river Wednesday morning and got back here at 9 AM Thursday We marched throug mud and water. I am all right now feel as well as I did before we started have not been lame at all. Have been abled to do my duty in good style. We had one or two wounded by accident. have been with in a stones throw of a big fight 3 times and have escaped by the skin of our teeth. Have had shells piched over our heads several times but not one was hurt by them. They throw these things around in a careless manner I had a letter from Ann last nigh and one from Everett last week both are well Eve has had rather a hard time of it he has missed his baked beans, poor fellow. he is all right now. Give my best respects to all of my pirticular friends Rowly skedaddled before we crossed the river No News to night

 

                                                                                                Truly Yours

                                                                                                            E L Bumpus

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