Sept 18^th 1862

 

Good morning Father Mother Brother & Sister Brown how do U all get along by this time I hope U all air well & enjoing good health as I am if no more now as I have but a few moments to tell spare I will try & tell that it is most importent.

 

Parents friends & Relation this to U Sad news does bring, but God is with us all where ever we may be we have bin in a Battle 3 dayes runing yesterday the infantry wer most all ingaged in the 64^th has had a hard time the first to fall with a wound in the leg was J Sanders next file to me next to fall was Ephraim E Green with a ball through the heart killing him inst. he was my right hand man he took me by the shoulder says he Eph if we die let us die at our post at that we steped out in front of the line now sais he let us take down their colors & as the word came out of his mouth he droped at my side I stood there & fired twice at the colors then staped back in the ranks then bill / Wimple took Ephraim up but he could not speak again. next was Normon foster shot right through the head he never kicked next was our captain Warren Wright wounded through the leg next William Fuller shot through the body killing him inst we had a hard fight all day & it night the was some of us sent out on picket & with the greatest of sadness in my hart I must say poor Johney Orr was shot by a sharp shooter I have not seen him yet but one of our men told me so perhaps it is true. William Wimple & I am detailed to burry dead now we will do as well as we can with them we are agoing to get a box for Ephraim & Johnny if we can they air fighting yet we have got to go back up there now & go to work

 

Friends this is the greatest battle that has bin fought in many a year we air gaining the victory we lay on the Battle field last night & such Death Grones was never heard. we mowed the Rebbles like grass before the mashine. Father Mother Brother & Sister if it is my lot to fall on the field do not mourn for me, for I feel prepard to meet it I well know what I am fighting for & I feel it is no worse for me than it / is for thousands of others have fired my gun 51 times at them & calculate I done some good for Uncle Sam I was not excited at tall. I calculated I new what I was about the bullets whistled round me like hale & still I was spared but I may fall any moment but if I do I shall fall at my post It is not my name to be a coward. our Col. & Lieutenant Col had 2 horses a piece shot dead & Col badly wounded. the one hundred & 30uth Ran was cut like Pigeons out of a fock Oh such a sight to behold. I have seen the 7 wonders of the world & a little more. 15 out of our company came out safe & about 25 went in. we wer in to it all day yesterday we took hundreds of them prisenors they had the best of position but we stood right up to the work we got all most on to them before we could get them out of their position then how we did lay them we could not hardly step with out steping on some of them. we walked over them laughfing & Cheering & the colonel saying my brave boys cut them to the ground. Col. Barlow & Miles is their names / brave men are they. they would not scringe for nothing nor neithor would his men or I say nothing wathing less than a ball. the reason I have not written befor is because I have not had time we have bin on the march most evory day since I got to the Regt we are now about 6 miles of harpers farry as near as I can find out. well I must close because Bill has came with the streacher & shovels we have got to go to burrying the dead Oh I feel so thankful to be spared so far it seames as if I cand not be thankful enoughf but I feel prepared to meet Death if mine is called for tell Grandfathers foks that I am well & would like to hear from them also Uncle Alberts & Austin give my best Respects to all inquiring friends & tell them to write to me soon as can be conveniant tell Mrs Orr & the Children to not weep for Johnny he was brave & fought like a herow & died at his post it was hard to see them Boys cut down at our sides. write soon Direct as u have I got Ur letter the other day Miss Orr pleas drect a letter to me So good bye write soon Urse with the greatest of pleasure            Ephraim E. Brown

 

                                                            To        Father Mother Brother & Sister

                                                                        John Lucinda Dolphin Deloria Brown

 

[margins]

 

Wilcox

Tom Wick

Seth Hintman

Chancy Samste

was not in the battle yesterday

 

tell the Captain & Lieutenant to give us a call imedatly for bill wimple is all that is left to take charge of the company

 

[envelope flap]

 

his first Letter after the Battle of

Antietam Valley Written

on the Field War

SOURCES