July 2^ond 1864 Altoona Pass and Near

                        Kennesaw Mountain State of Georgia

 

Dear Family again this morning I will try to write again I was lucky enough to get 2 sheats of paper I am well we are lying back from the works behind a rise of ground we came back last night and expect to stay here today if nothing unusual turn up tonight our turn comes to take the front line of our Brigade there is something brewing I think for before daylight canonadeing commenced heavy and is in force yet as far as I can hear along the line and brisk skirmish fireing some of their balls comes singing over here they do hit some of our men on the 1^st an 2^ond lines I se them carrying back 2 dead here a few minutes ago one 38^th Ill and the Major of the 90^th OVI all of our Brigade they are burrying the Privates here on a nice shady knowl all in nice order there is some 20 now they have some graves ready for more but out on the line where we made the charge they were burryed just as they could 42 is in one place they are 3 deep in a trench well one year today we left Tullyhoma for Winchester Tenn then we thought the war about played out so it goes yet perhaps another year but I think not I believe this great and terable struggle will end it god knows how long it will continue it has cost many lives and many more yet will fall I will stop and go for some fresh water there is plenty of springs among these hills good water but not cold /

 

well I have took a good sleep but it was spoiled by a showr of rain comeing on my face it is now noon and all quiet again and a heavy rain comeing up I expect a bad night for us to be on the front picket line as the ditches will have water in them and it hante safe to get out our works ar made by cutting logs and putting them on top of each other about 3 feet high then dig a trench wide enough for a man to ly crosswise in it throwing the dirt over the logs makeing it high enough to stand up and shoot over and a ditch on the outside makeing a bank of dirt and logs 8 or 10 feet thick we put a heavy log on top to protect our heads leaveing a space of 4 or 5 inches to shoot through this we notch on skids so if a canon ball hits it and knocks it off the skids ketch and it roals over our heads on the outside we put brush and stuf to hinder a line of men from comeing on verry fast

 

I was just out walking around looking at things generaly I found another grave yard as large as our lot all full of those that was murdered by the drunken charge of the 27^th I have been mad whenever I think of it some of them drunken pups have been dismissed since I can say our General was sober our colonel commands our Brigade and our Major General Stanley is a sober man the 15^th Ohio and / some other regts of that Division refused to go on the charge as their General was drunk and I never will if I kno the commander is drunk I dont think we will find out the correct account of our loss soon I think it heavyer than they admit for I saw so many going back themselves wounded and hundreads carrying on streachers and these heaps of fresh ground has a sad tale to tell and where we were was the lightest work done on the line well this is enough of this

 

I hope you will have a good 4^th and a good time I was thinking today if you have current pies I had forgot such things gro I tell you I would give my old gun for one just now altho I have my haversack full of hardtack coffee and shugar and some poark we get ¾ of a tin cup full of coffee the same of shugar for 3 days and one pound of hard tack for each day that is a plenty there is nothing to be had hear elce there is tobacco brought to the front to sell but gracious they ask $1.50 for plugs we bought in camp for 50 cts and could buy when I was home for 16 cts I cant stand it I must give up tobacco if this campaign dont soon end we were mustered the last day of June for pay now I have 6 months due 2 at least of bigger pay if our wages are raised if not I will get 2 months if not more Orderly Sergeants pay that use to be 20 Dollars no mor on this side but remain yours

                                    Charles Morfoot          Orderly Sergeant of Co C 101^st OVI /

 

I see there is little news of our army in the papers but a terable lot about the Potomac army I think it is best as Shearman does he dont let the world all kno what he is doing we kno nothing only what we do in our front I heard yesterday McPherson had give the rebs thunder on our left and taken 15 hundread prisoners well I will close I have only this stamp if I cant get any I will send without I suppose they will go put on your speckticles and look sharp if you want to read this for I cant hardly make it out My ink is all but a little I save to back letters with again Goodby

                                                                        C M

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