Camp Falmouth Va

Wednesday December The 17^th 1862

 

Oh is it possible that I can come out & say so bold that I am yet spared. yes I trust I can but it is a wounder that I can. I dare say if you had seen to run the chance I have with others for the last week you would said it is a unpossible thing, is it true that Eph. is yet spared. Mother, perhaps you have got the letter I sent off soon after I cealed it, & not knowing at the time I should haft to run the chance of my life so close as I have for the past time since. Oh Father & Mother, Brother & Sister the Transactions that has happend since then seams to my mind to be but a Dream. can it be possible that we have had to go over across the river & stay 2 or 3 days & come back with two thirds of the men which we went over with; Oh, you cannot Emagine the sight at which transpired on Saturday last December the 13^th/62. Neithor will I try to explain it to you for it is something that cannot be took into reasoning & in my mind no paper will ever come out & tell half which transpired, or ever will give any where near the account of our loss & we well know that it cannot give the loss of the Rebs. But thus far I dear speak, the Rebs just made a complete Slaughter of the Union Troops on the Right of the Field & held their ground but I understand that our troops gained the victory on the left & took some prisenors. We left Camp on Thursday morning at break of day for FredricksBurg to go in & while HandCocks Division was falling into line the / Sound of the canons came to our ears boom boom boom boom from this side of the river but no reply did we get but a little infantry firing along the picket line from the pickets & some sharp shooters which had bin placed along the line. at that present time the Union troops wer putting down the pontoons across the River opasite of FredricksBurg while greatly in danger. the Rebs capt out of sight untill we got the Bridg all down, but 2 boats, when the sound of the bullets came whir whir from the Rebs, cutting them to the water & bottoms of the boats & with a reply from the other side our men gave, Driving them back & finding 15 kiled & 30 wounded, which wer engaged putting down the bridg. our Division mooved down to the river, lay that day & such a thundering I never heard from any rainstorm as our pieces made to the enamy that day untill after dark. our new Comander Maj Gen Burnside crossed 2 Divisions after dark & letting them lay under our pieces which was planted on the banks of the opposite side of the river. well there we lay through the night with our pickets one side of the Town & the Rebs the other with the City all torn to pieces & heavily settled with smoke from the Destructions of fire & powder. well break of day came & we wer on hand as usual ready for them as though danger was no nearer than ever well we crossed the River by day break & lay under the shelling from them that day & stood it verry well but the morning of the 13^th we got a little gruffy & thought we would try them a small lift & we made out a big lift out of it before we got out / we wer caled into the Field at 12 Oclock & was not relieved untill Dark. but we shoved our troops in to the field drawn in line of Battle line after line untill about dark when Gen Butterfield came up to wind it up when he brought up his reinforcements 5 colliams deap & under took to charge on their intrentchments & could not make a raise the Rebs lay loe in their Breastworks & mowed us to the Earth & we could not have any effect on them. But we held our ground. Yes & I dare say say we would held it untill they killed evory man of us. our Brigade went into the field & did not come out til after dark & some never came off & some came off pretty well used up. I consider Myself safe of, though I had to have a coupple of my comrads help me off of the field along in the edg of the evening & while being examined I found I had bin greatly in danger that after noon found a bullet hole through the top of my cap, another cratch on my hand & a piece of shell laying on my side which came with such force it cut a hole through my over coat & also under coat & 2 woolen shirts busing my side slightly the is a black & blew spot on my side about the size of your hand but I do not mind that. all such little scratches as them does not amount to any thing what ever. the old 64^th N.Y. does not mind trifles we have got one captain in the Regt & 4 or 5 Lieutenants no Colonel no Major nor hardly any men but what the is is like Lions they consider them / not to be bluffed by a dog. nothing but bullets can cease their madness for the Union we air bound. well I most forgot to tell you that we threw out our Skermishers & held them in their pits & threw our forces across the river back to their old camps but thousands of acres lay coverd with dead we got the most of our wounded but our dead fell in the hands of the Rebs. we now lay in the old camp. Gen Seackles has came up with his force & lays here on the Right. I understand he said he would lost his command before he would took his men into the fight as Burnside did & I dont blame him for saying so. no knowing what will be the next strike nor where it will be but 2 more such strikes uses up the Army of the potomack. the is but one Colonel in the whole brigad & he has took charge of the Brigade captain Jones takes comand of our Regt I understand that this Brigade is reported unfit for duty & it ought to have bin long go. the weather here is exalent we have had but 2 little floureys of snow this winter the going is rather roughf & hubby but will soon get worn down. the CH has got payed of since we came back across the river & I do believe they began to need it for their Comfor of camp life, which is but small at the greatest. well as I am getting some tired I will bring those few lines to a close so please excuse all mistake & write soon Give my best respects to all inquiring Friends & tell them to write so Good Evening. From Ur Son, Ephraim E. Brown

 

To his Father Mother Brother & Sister Brown

SOURCES