111th Pennsylvania Infantry & 22rd VRC - Fort Stevens Action

Item LTR-5597

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 pages written in period ink.

Headquarters Washington DC
August 25, 1864

Respected Friend,

I seat myself once more to inform you that I am well and I hope these few lines may find you all enjoying the same blessing. Rosa stated that she would like to know if I was out on that raid. I was out for eight days, all of our regiment was out. There was on man wounded in our regiment and he belonged to Company E. He was shot through the hand. The Rebels opened a heavy picket fire on the morning of the 12th of July and it lasted until 10 at night. It was then they fell back. We laid on our arms all night and then we followed them up the next morning. We was relieved by the Sixth Corps and they took the advance. I wished you had have been there to witness. The night, the weather was very warm and we had a good many of our men sun struck, but we was blessed with a refreshing shower of rain and then the battle raged with fury and positively we had God on our side for they out numbered us two to one. They thought to cut us down like grass before the scythe. I hope you will excuse me for not writing sooner for I have too much duty to do. We have no peace here unless we are after deserters or conscripts or bounty jumpers. And every day there is more or less rebels coming in and there is no person to escort them through the city but us. All the other soldiers have gone to the front. It is the report here that we are going to leave soon. We are going north some place to enforce the draft. I will close by asking you to write soon. I send my best love and respects to Erastus Burns and to Aunt Eliza and to Rosa and Timothy and to Letta and Katy and I also send my respects to Tessa and I was sorry to hear that they was sick. But I hope they are enjoying good health now. I send my respects to Assa Burnes and wife and family. I wrote to Mr. Grahams about my money and I have never received no answer yet and I expect to go there and see about it myself. I have got two months pay since I left home and they have raised our pay and cut our rations down. There is two months more pay due me now and as soon as we are paid I will [send] it home. You tell Timothy to open that box and take all the things out. I will get that pistol for you just as soon as I can. Nothing more at present. I remain your friend.

J A. Stapleton