Hd. Qr. 5[?]^th Reg^t. P.V.            
Camp near Hatshers Run

Febr the 24^th/65

 

Dear Frind,

            This Morning as was agoing to set down to Breakfeast the Orderly brought in a Letter, & I soon saw, it was from you, it took mi so by surpris, that the Shok of it mad mi loos my Breakfeast. I read it, & reread it, because it was something New, to mi, to get a letter from you. in Vain hav i lookt for a letter from you, this good whil, but at last it cam; I was a fraid that I had offendid you, I was very sorry, your that you had lost your father. I got a letter from my Wife yesterday, stating his dead & Kelloggs. you request mi to giv a account of our last Movment. to giv you all the partikulars that I know it would tak 10 sheets of paper to hold it. I will try and giv you the all the information I can. We left Camp on the Morning of the 5^th inst. (Sunday Morning) and started for Hatshers Run. We arrived at the Run about 12 oClok Noon, but did not / cross it, until 4 oClok. P.M. (that is our Brigad) there was Cavaley or other troops across it all Noon after we crossed the Run, we marcht about ¼ Mile trough the Woods, the whol Brigad was formd in lin of Battle. our Regt. happend to get in a open field. We stakt arms & comenzd to tow up Breast Works. Skirmishers wher sent out som Distant. after we had comenzt working a while, the firing becam very heavy to our right, (about 1 Mile) you will bear in Mind that our Brigad was not with the Division after 4 oClok P.M. but where seperated, from the Division, our Brigad being at this time on the extrem left and the 1^st & 3^rd Brigad of our Division, where betwen the 1^st & 2^nd Div. of our Corp. our Div. had conektion with the first Div. but unfurtionatly there was a Gap left open betwen the 3^rd Brigad (New Jersy) & the 2^nd Div of our Corp, where there was no conektion at all, in fackt, there was no conektion at all betwen the 1^st & 2 Div, until a short tim befor the Johns mad a Charge. /

 

            the impression of the Gen Officur was, that the Enymy, would mak a Charge on our estrem left & turn our left flank, but instead of doing that, the observed the Gap wich was betwen the 1^st & 2^nd Div, & they took adantige of that; whil we where working yet on the extrem left, the firing becam tremendious the Enemy was then making a Charge but the first & 3^rd Brgd. happent to get there in time to chek their Advanz the Johns fell bak, & formd, for a 2^nd Charge, in wich the Enemy was handsomly repulsed again, the Johns fell bak in to the woods & formd their lin again by this tim they observed the Gap wich was left left open betwen the 3^rd Brigd & the 2^nd Divin & where just in the ackt of taking advantige of it, wen our Brigad cam there in tim to put a stop to their farther advanz. We had to leav our Works befor they where finish & run in dopple quik for nearly a mile to where this fighting was. we cam there in tim to repuls the Johns on their 3^rd Charg it / this was all on Sunday Evning, (about the tim wen the Boys goes to see their Girls)

 

Our Regt had to charge trough a open field & the Johns wher coming out trough the Woods lik a swarm of Bees Ielling lik Indians George, I wish you could hav seen the Woods in the Morning, our Artilley had a flank fire on the Rebs & the Way the sent the sent the Shells, Grap & Canister into the Woods it was no Child play: the Rebs left their Dead on the ground, & retreated. during the Night they took their wounded of with them their was 5 Johns lying and pile. they where killd by 1 shell. the Shell strok a white Oak stump, explodet & killd the 5; & the ground was all coverd with blood from thos that wher wounded. we only lost 2 Men woundet in the Regt. the John shoot high a nough for the bullets to pas over us; the New Jersy Brigad lost the most in our Divn; the went in to the charge with out loading their guns first & then haltet and loadet while the Johns giv them / Volly after Volly; we stop at that plase for about 4 Days. on Monday Evning (the 5 Corp wich was then on the extrem left, wher our Brigad had been) was attaktet. the 3 Div of the 5 Corp advanz their skirmisher rather clos the Johns works, wich the Johns had trowing up, in sp shap of a redoubt. Wen the Johns tougth the Yanks where clos enough the John giv the Yank a Volly & charged on 3 Div 5 Corp & drov them lik a drov a Sheep. the 210 Regt. P.V. got so demoralised that they run rigt in to the Johns hands all that saved the 5 Corp was the works that our Brigad had trowing up the Day befor it mad a regular confusion among the whol Army; straggler cam by where we wher, with out Musket or Cap, or any thing else, inqwiring for the 5 Corp. the best fun was, (it was then about 71/2 Clok P.M. Monday Evning) we had to fall in, in a hurry, to help the 5 Corp out of their scrap; but befor we got close to the run, Gen Warren Comanding 5 Corp would not exept of us, he told Gen Mott Com^d our Division, that ef he got in to a scrap he / was able to help imself out again. the Artilley, wich belongt to our Corp, had keep the Rebel in Chek. he (Warren) mad them leav, & put his on Batteris there Warren We went bak our old position. Gen Warren, by that tim, had his Corp formend again and then mad a Charge, & drov the Johns bak, but there was only a few Johns. the most loss that we sustand was trough the 5 Corps; we hav now establisht a new line the 1^st & 3^rd Brigad ar in the Works; our Brigad is in reserv. last Night or rather this Morning, at 1 Clok our Brigad had to fall in, to suport the 6 Corp; there was so many Desserter cam in to our lins sinc Charlstown is taking they all reportet that Lee was agoing to attakt the 6 Corp this Morning early & for that Reason our Brigad had to go. I did not know any thing of until i got up this Morning at 5 oCl / wen a found out the Regt. had left. they cam bak at 71/2 Clok in time for Breakfeast We will get off in about 1 Week but only for 4 Months;

 

George I believ the War will be over in 3 Months, ef it aint over in 3 Monts in wont be over in a Year

 

George didnt W.C. Wolf giv you a Cotton Blooss min wen he got hom I sent one with him, to giv to you, so that you could sent it to my family I also sent your Wife a piece of consentradet Vegetible, seem as you had the Winter befor.

 

the Weather is getting som watt warmer, but the Nigt hav still cold

 

John Shugart cut his lege very bad with the axe whil chopping Wood. I wish Congress would pass that bill, authorising the Sekratay of War to disscharge all Men that inlistet in 62 & 63 for old / Regt. but it is allmost to good for a Soldier to com to pass. Well George I must stop it is all most Dinner tim & I hav my Breakfeast Dishes to wash yet.

 

My best reppett to you & family

remember mi to kindly frind

 

P.S. George I wish you would be a litle mor punttual in answering my letter; I was willing to do with out my Breakfeast this Morning just to gratify your Wish in Answering your Letter.

 

Writt soon.

if we dont mov befor the Middle of next Month Ill com Hom but ef there is any prospekt of the War being over soon I think Ill stay;

            My paper is all [?] gon I [?] /

                                                        

I paid a Visit to the 200 Reg. & 209 P.V a few Days after we had the fight. I saw all the Boys around from Middlesix township. John Montgomery Jisten looks right well. I did not see Colman; the Boys said that wen he heard 2^nd Corp figthing on Sunday Evning, he strok for Camp as hard as he could one Division of the 9^th Corp was about a Mile from us for a support in case we needit one. they had left every thing in Camp. the moved bak to theire Camp sam Evning after I was there /

                                                 

the represent. M. Fister as a good Soldier, but one thing I hav against them they ar awfull dirty, they were so well [?] that I hardly know them but keep this to your self. Frank Spahr went with mi to the 209^th Reg. where I saw Alf. Myers (Son in law of Samue Kear) he had just a quart Cupe of Coffe ready, and was a pounding his hard tak, to soften them quiker after putting them in to Coffe. there is as much differenc in the Style of living betwen old & new troops as there is in Day & Nigth

            Good by. Your J. A Stair /

                                                      

George, I am a going to give you a other dokement I just now heard from Capt Bijou, wath was wrong last Nigth, and wath mad us get up.

 

There was 300 Deserters cam in, in front of the 6^th Corps in [?] & the Gen did not trust the operration altogather so the got us all ready be for the our General would let them / com insid of our lins and ef there should hav ben som trik in the operation, we would hav ben all ready for them. the Deserters say that ef grant mak a other Mov lik the one we just mad, he can tak the South Sid Railroad the giv up all hope & great many mor would Desert ef it war not for their familys. Now I will stop

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