52nd Virginia Infantry - Wounded & Captured at Cedar Creek

Item CON-8442

Description

Original Civil War Confederate document. 2 pages, written in period ink.


Camp near Summerville Ford

February 18th 1864

Dear Mother,

I take this opportunity of dropping you a few lines to let you hear from me. My health is pretty good at present. Hoping this may find you all enjoying the same.

I got the provision you sent me. All say the ones I am with has been pretty well off for provisions since. Dan Hamilton was down. He got his son a dose of provisions. There is five in that mess. Me, Gordon, Preston, Hamilton and Curry. We have all got provisions but Gordon. He hasn’t no Mother to send him any. Curry is at home on furlough and will bring some more.

I haven’t any news at present. We had a little skirmish on Saturday and Sunday. We lay in line of battle Saturday night, all night. And it was very disagreeable. We wasn’t engaged. We was shelled some but no one hurt in the regiment. The Yankees burnt part of a little town on the north side of Rapidan, within 500 yards of us where we was laying. We seen them firing them. We shot at them and outed one of them. That stopped them. They crossed a mile below where we was. Our men drove them back. They left seventeen dead and forty-six prisoners in our hands. Our loss was four killed and twenty wounded. There was two wounded in the 31st regiment. W. C. Reinceed is well. A. G. Gleek is coming home before long. I will send some money by him.

I want you to send me a pair or two of gloves with gantlets like mine. I can get 20 or 25 dollars a pair for them. If you have the material to make them, send them by 5 o’clock.

I will close for the present. Hoping this may find you all well.

Yours affectionately until death,

L. F. Burns