Helena June the 6^th/1863

 

Dear Sister

Since I last wroat to you we have had some fighting to do and we done it in a way that gained honor to the Officers and men the fireing began at half past 3 A.M. on the riserve guarde and at four along the whole line it was the morning of the 4^th except on the extreme left whare our Reg^t was untill 9 Oclock when the rebels charged on one of our battries and took it and the right wing of our reg^t was ordered to reinforce the broken line which they done with such good will that the rebels was driven back the cannons mowed them down in heaps We could see thair Officers trying to raly them but as fast as they closed up they was opened again by 

 

We could see them fall thick thare was nothing to be heard but the ringing of the shells and the hissing of grape and canister over our heads and the musket balls flew thick and fast our men gone back and the rebels came rushing down the hollow with thair infernel flag waveing but the poor devils had run into the mouth of death for they was all killed or taken as soon as they come down the hill our men closed up on boath sids of them and they fell by hundreds the battel continued untill 12 Oclock when the fireing closed and the strewed with wounded and slain for severl miles the cannons continued to fire occationly untill near 3: P.M. when they ceased and our men returned to thair former position. We began to count noses to see how many we had got / And we found that we had taken 1000 prisnears and killed and wounded 1200 that is what we have found Our looss was some whare about 150 or 75 in all we laid in the rifel pits all night in the water knee deep and the 5^th in the eavning the rebels drove in our out posts and the signel for battel was given but the enemy retired without doing any thing the boys lay in the pits all night

 

the rebels was reported 25,000 commanded by price Marmduke and hames and another I have forgot his name

 

Our force was about 36.00/3600 and commanded by Gen^l Prentis the Officers and men was cool and unconcerned they road over over the field the men went at it like as if they had followed it all thair lives for the presant I will close this leavs me / Well and a better soldier than I ever was before We are reinforced and perfectly safe so no more

 

Only I remain your loveing brother

                                                                        William Wilkinson

 

                                                                        Sarah Wilkinson

P.S. Our Reg^t lost 4 killed

and 11 wounded

            PleaseWrite Soon

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