Cavalry Camp At Fredrick Mills, Dec 3^d/64

                                                                                    To M^r John M Marlin Capt

 

Dear Sir After my respects to you and all of the rest of you that is at home I will let you know in these few lines that I am hearty and well at this Present time and do sincerely hope that these lines will find you All enjoying the same blessing of good health which is the greatest of all earthly blessings that we can enjoy and it is the greatest blessing that I can wish to you all while here on Earth and hoping that we may all prepare ourselves to meet together in a far more hapier world than this where theire will be no more troubles and sorrows and vexations but all will be pleasure and comfort as is promised to us if we will only prepare ourselves for it as it is promised to us we may enjoy ourselves thare in / that hapy land along with god and his angels forever & forever—

 

Now John I will tell you some of my travels and senes since the seventh of November on the 7 of November we left Front Royal in Warren County Va. went through the mountain by the way of Manasa Gap went into Fauqueer County there to Rectortown then to Uppervill then to Ashbeys Gap camped for the night 8 instant this day we travled about 28 miles instead of laying by and voting for our President as we was promised to get avote we captured to day 5 Johneys and five hundred head of cattle and three hundred head of sheep and camped near to the Manasa Rail Road on the 9 we went to Parris Town then we crosed the Shandoah River at Kees ford into Fulton County then we went to Millwoodtown then to White port then to cross roads in the Shandoah valley then to Newtown on the Windchester and Martinsburg turnpike camped for the night 10^th we went back to the Xroads and took the / pike leading from Windchester to Lura went to Fredrick mills where we are now camped 11^th inst we laid quiet all day 12 we went back to the Xroads and found the Johneys pickets had advanced on us so then we drove them back about four miles and came to theire and thare the took a stand And opened theire Artillery on us and as we had no Artillery with us we was repulsed and had to fall back for about 2 miles still taking a stand every now and then as it suited us and then our Seccond Division came up and reinforced us and we formed in battle line and went on them with saber charge and opened our seven shooters on them besides which made the run we chased them through theire camp and 3 miles beyond it and put them across the Shanandoah River we captured 2 of theire cannons one cason waggon blowed one up 2 ambulence wagons and 3 forage waggons and one hundred and seventy men and theire battle flag and killed and wounded a good / many of them we had 2 killed and 3 wounded that I seen in our charge and then we returned back to our camp at Fredrick mills with our prisnors and guarded them for the night and sent them of the next day a great many of them appeared to be glad the was captured and said the were glad for the thought the would get something to eat the said the had not had anything for 2 days to eat Sunday 13 we marched to day to the big springs then to middletown then to Newtown then returned to camp again found nothing in our way 14 very cold this morning snow on the hill and mountains 15 all quiet to day 16 on picket to day and night 17^th and 18 still on picket 19^th relieved of picket to day returned to camp found all quiet Sunday 20^th All quiet on our lines to day /

 

[here the writer commences upside down to interwrite the lines throughout the letter]

 

Monday 21^st started this morning on a 3 days raid went to Newtown then to Middletown then to strausburg then to Fishers hill and camped for the night 22 we went to Woodstock then to Edenburg then to Mount Jackson and found the enemy thare again we fought them and drove them back about 2 miles and then the opened theire Artilery and Infantry on us in double quick which made us get back in a hurry we lost several men and a good many horses I cannot tell you the number but one thing I can tell you I saw one cannon ball bounce of the ground and went through our ranks killed 3 horses and one man the man was cut in two and his head and arms flew 10 or 12 feet away their was 3 horses betwixt me and them it is a hard sight to look at but one has to bear it when he gets into it / so then we returned back to Woodstock and camped for the night 23 we captured 17 of the Johneys that followed us to bushwhack us on our return back to our camp 24 our pickets drove in to day by General Mosbeys men the charged into our camp but the charged out again a great deal faster than the came in if you had been here you would have had to laugh some of us going on horse back some sadling theire horses and a big amount chargeing on them on foot we chased them 10 miles captured 13 of them and killed seven and got several of his horses we had one man wounded and one horse shot in the chase we captured Mosbeys Chief Scout he says it was a sad charge for them but the did not no it was the 14 Pa cavalry that was laying here or the would not have charged on us the thought it was the 11 Michigan Cavalry that was here and the aint / so fraid of them the scout said the did not fear any of the cavalry so much as the do the fourtenth Pa for none of the rest charges in the same way he says we will charge on Breast works as fast as any other place and the dont like to meet us on a charge for the are shure to get licked if the have not theire Artilery and Infantry with them 25 all quiet in camp to day again 26^th 3 hundred of our men out on a scout to day 27^th our men returned to camp to day all quiet on our lines nothing to be found or heard of 28^th & 29^th and 30^th all quiet in camp at present December 1^st, 2^d and 3^d laying quiet in camp I am on horse guard last night and to day so this is some of my senes for the last month I can tell you that we have had it all the time in this way since the 3 of July on the 3 of July I got into the first fight and I have been in twenty seven fights since that time and I have saw a great many / men killed and wounded in all shapes and places and some very hard sites to bear but thanks be to my Heavenly Father for his Goodness to me for sparing me my health and bringing me safe from under my enemies fires and I hope that he will continue his kindness to me and spare my life and give me a safe return to my home and family where I long to be So now as my paper is getting scarce I must bring my scribling to a close for this time hoping to hear from you soon I your friend John D Fehnley

 

Direct to Martinsburg Va. Co. K. 14. Pa cavly

 

Give my love to your Mother & Sarah Ann and all your Brothers and except the same yourself. yes I will tell you that Sidney was in our camp a few days ago but I did not see him for I was out on picket I would like to have seen him for I have not seen him since we came out in the spring

 

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If you cant read this just bring it down to me and I will read it for you the reason why I rite in this way is because paper is very scarce it costs us 2 cents a sheet 2 cents for an envelope 10 cents for a stamp and cant be got at that therefore I have to send you this letter without paying the postage we have got no pay in our reigment since I came to it and our money is all played out I think you wont growl much for having to pay the postage on this letter

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