Head Quarters Co 'G' 84^th P.V.

Camp Near Brandy Station Va.

Saturday Afternoon December the 12^th/63

 

            Friend George

                                    You no doubt have been loocking for an answer to your letter of the 29^th of last month. the reason for not answering sooner I hope will be satisfactory. In the first place as you are no doubt aware of, The Army moved on the morning of the 26 & crossed the Rapidann about 3 OClock PM. Marched about 2 Miles when we met the enemys skirmishers about dusk had a little skirmishing, when we fell back about one mile & bivaucked for the night having taken the wrong road, which is very easily done in a Wilderness. the bugle sounded early in the morning of the 27^th got up & had breckfast. Marched back (and to the south of the direction we marched in the evening) and found the enemy in our front after considerable reconnoitering in front & and an occasional shot from our skirmishers. We formed line of battle in the woods or I might say Wilderness. you may judge for yourself as for example take the red hill as it is called in Perry county where we hunted deer & you have a specimen of the country, & then judge how a line of battle is to advance over it. We lay in line for some time while the 1^st Massachussets went out as skirmishers, were again marched by the left flank into a road & then by the right flank to the front untill we came to a small open field with a house & stable on it hear we obliqued to the right to come by company into line of battle / & halted, another thicket in our front also a deep ravine covered with green briers & alder, on the other side of which was a fence. hear the right & left companys of our Regmt were thrown out as skirmishers to protect our front. we were ordered forward, our skirmishers alredy at the fence. Such a getting through briars & mud I will not attempt to describe but only say it was not a very straight battle line. All this time the enemy skirmishers lay concealed out side in the woods & not fireing on our skirmishers but when our line came up to the fence they opened on us and then fell back it was at this time we had one man of Co D mortally wounded & two or three others more wounded. Our skirmishers were ordered forward They had not gon far when capt Nixon of Co K was wounded. We were orderd to advance again about 100 yds our skirmishers still advanceing. we halted for a short time when we advanced again coming close to our skirmish line. the fireing became prety brisk in front. Some of the skirmishers getting out of amunition by this time the enemy came up in force & forced our skirmishers to fall back, when the whole line opened a terrible fire on the enemy. Such musketry has had hardly a paralell in the war. At the first fire the line was not very steady but soon became a fixed line almost immoveable paying attention to nothing but to load & fire. the smoke in front was so dence that the enemy could not be seen, but soon we were compeled to fall back the right of our line gave way the 11^th Mass going first. I found we were being flanked the balls came in on my right. I cast my eyes along the line & found the 11^th falling back & also the right of our regiment finally the Col & colors. the boys still firing away like good fellows not knowing what was going on, on their right. /

 

I found in order not to make another Chancllorvill affair of the boys, I ordered them to face about, when the most of them only discovered that the right of the Regmt had gon. there was some prety fast running for a short time especially by those who were to Richmond they thought of Chancellorsvill. We fell back perhaps 300 yds when we again rallied & drove them back our artillery opening with grape & canister on the woods. Our Regmt again toock the front & held them untill after dark when we were relievd by the 6^th Corps, the enemy falling back during the night leaving most of their dead in our hands. I would say hear that I was not well on the entire march & gave the Lieut charge of the company I remained in the rear yet only a few paces perhaps 5 yds I did not concern myself much about the skirmishing but when the whole line opened I could not help getting up & seeing how it was going. one of my men appeared very much frightened & fell back to a tree in the rear of me. I ordered him forward into the line & poor fellow I have not seen him since. he must have been wounded & taken prisoner while we fell back. I almost feel certain he was not killed as we held the ground & had all the dead buried. his name is Benjamin Getz, from York County & enlisted at Mechanicsburg. Night closed the scene for that day We lay on our arms untill about 3 OClock in the morning when we again were ordered to the front & relieved the 1^st Brigad of the 6^th Corps. we lay there untill near day light when we changed our fare & joined the 2^d Corps on the plank road which you no doubt have seen in the papers. /

 

Raining nearly all day on Saturday we had nothing but marching to do, Sunday advanced about two miles on the plank road, Monday moving started at thee OClock & marched about 2 miles when we were drawn up in front of the enemys fortifications before day light; little did we think what was to be our next move. Standing in front of the enemy cold & shivering the men walking to & fro to keep warm, the enemys colors floating defiantly in front of us. There was two lines of battle our little Brigade in front, the 2^d Corps on our left the 3^d Division of the 3^d Corps on our right, part of the 6^th Corps on their right & the 1^st Division of the 3^d Corps on their right Making a line of three miles in front of the enemys works. Day light came & with it the news that at 7 Oclock the enemys works were to be taken by storm, & the duty had been assigned to Gen Warren of the 2^d Corps. But thank God the charge was not made Gen Warrens opinion was that it would be too great a sacrifice. he said he could take the works but could not hold them. I tell you there were officers & men waiting with breathly emotion the order, but the good news came that the charge was abandoned & during Monday night the Army commenced falling back & recrossed the Rapidan without loosing any of the train & but few straglers. Our Brigade was the first to cross & the last to recross as we were sent down the plank road to support the Cavalry. after we crossed we could see the Reb cavalry on the other side picking up straglers.

 

I will close as this will perhaps not be very interesting to you if you have not had the New York Herald of the 4^th get it if you can & that will give you a pretty correct account of the march /

 

I made a mistake & got two different sheets of paper but you can perhaps follow it up.

 

I started out by giving my reasons for not answering you sooner. As we arrived in our old camp on the third the balance of the Corps came in on the 2^d but as our brigade was in the rear we lay on this side of the river on the right of the 2^d & since we have been in camp I have had a great deal to do besides picket duty & no stove or fire in my tent it has been rather cold to write. I am now in Robert's tent he has pretty good quarters. I expect a stove tomorrow or next day. You may expect E Humen home soon on furlough I made out his papers last night they have to go to Corps head quarters for approval. the order came in last night late I made it out unknown to him I expect it will be back in about 4 days. there are furloughs for 10 days the same as we had last winter.

 

I will close for this time hoping these lines may find you all well. my health is just midling I am suffering a great deal with a pain in my back. Good Evening May God ever protect us all in the future as he has in the past is the Prayer of

                                                your Friend & well wisher

                                                                                                John P Brindle

                                                            To        G W. Jacobs & Wife

 

NB I would like if there is such a thing a civilian getting hear this winter, have you come to see us & spend a few days with us in camp.            write often

                                                                                                J. P. B

Give me Sphars Address /

 

Rob Will & Wilson are well

 

            Will is just coocking rice & left it too long hence it began to burn tell Barbara he is a prety good coock

 

Sunday Morning Rained all night, very muddy this morning. I am not out of bed yet I can just reach my desk from my bunk. I feel pretty well this morning.   Good morning

                                                                                                                        JPB

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