Harrosons landing James

River V.A. July 19^th/62

 

            Dear Brother

                                    Yours of the 6^th came to hand yesterday the 18^th and I was pleased to to hear from you and to hear that you wair all well I am not very well at presant nor havent bin cince the 25^th of June but I kepte my place in the rank untill after we got back hear and in our place but I havent don aney dutey cince but I am getting some better. we have had some hard times and hard fighting cince I wrote you last but we are not all / dead yet although our Brigade suffered pritey bad we lost one whole Regement clean sweep with the exceptions of about fiftey seven men. our regement lost one hundred and sixtey thee the 3^d about two hundred 2^nd not so maney they had but four Companeys in the ingagement. this we lost on the 27^th of Jun buy being flanked boath on the right and lift at the same time and having five times our number to contend with but the bugar couldent fase our or budg our front but we wair gaining on them and driving them slowley / and the firste thing we new we wair flanked and ordered to fall back this is the way we loste so maney men beeing taken prisners we had but very fiew killed, but quite a number wonded, and then we had quite a good maney taken in getting back hear we did not have such an awuful lot killed on our side but we did everlastingley sweetning the Rebs my god it was awuful to see them march up in front of our artilery and be mowed down like gras and still they came on thinking they must get through untill ther ranks was so thined they / wair compelled to give it up. well Tom I have all ways bin very readey to fight and am yet if it isent for mor than one day, but when it comes to six or seven in succesion I would rather be counted out for my part Thomas Wolever he is all right Bill Merrel he was wonded in the brest but is well again.

 

Insk he is mising do not know weather killed or prisner no mor but remain as ever your Brother

wrot soon                                                                                D R Forgus

 

and Directe Daniel R Forgus

            In Care Capt A M Way

            Company G 1^st Regt N.J.V.

                                    Washington D.C.

 

[second letter enclosed]

 

Head-quarters 45^th P.V. Reg't. Co. H             Aug 2^d

                                                Camp Lincoln Newport News Va 1862

Friend Em

                        yours of the 27^th was recd last night & I resume my pen again to answer it I am not in very good helth. I am in the hospital now, came here day before yesterday, am getting some better, & hope I shall be able to go back to my C^o in a few days. by the way, by your tell you must have had quite a time the 26^th I would have liked to have been thare to have heard those speaches & I hope that / R. S. Bailey will succeed in getting up his C^o for we need all the men that we can get or will before the war closes & by the way I think the rebels stand about as good a chance to whip us as we do them & I think if Richmond is not taken within two months that En Foren nations will settle it for us

 

you may think by this that I am home sick & would like to get home but that is not so for if I knew that the rebels would whip us in the end I would onely fight the harder I heard before I got your letter that Lieut J W Rose had resined I did not hear wether on acount of sickness or not but a good many Officers resign when they could stay as well as not & I hope that hereafter they will be obbliged to stay unless they have some better excuse than cowardice or because they have the tooth ache.

 

Cap^t Schiefflein left here the 19^th on leaf of absance I dont think he will ever / return again our 2d Lieut resined while we ware on Raccoon I— & our 1^st Lieu^t is at home now on Leaf of absanse so we have not a commishioned Officer in our Co now the 1^st lieu^t of Co A has command of our C^o now—I think if Em Walker cant do better than be runing around with the Shutter boys she had better stay whare she belonges it is not because that I have anything the boys in perticuar but I think that if I was in her place if I could not get any one besides cowards to run around with I would go alone or not go at all for they have no excuse for staying at home besides that for they are both able bodied men & thare are severel more single men around K that will have to come as soon as they begin to draft & that they will do before long if they dont volintear I am glad that you wrote whare ben was for I want to write to him I am sorry that Eugene / has met with the misfortune of being shott but such is the fortune of war Jesse K Wilcox

 

P S I dont think that I will be home in time to go huckle berring with you or any one else we have some here & aplenty of black berries give my respects to your folks & all the rest you need not expect to see before my three years is up if you ever do Gelett Holladay from Holedaytown is a serg^t in our C^o he sends his respects to the folks in K do you know him                                                                                            Dutch

 

to Em

 

                                    Direct to Newport News Va.

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