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Regiment: 1st U.S. Volunteers Sharpshooters
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: George A. McCall, George B. McClellan, Nathaniel P. Banks, Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson
Camp near City Point Va
July 5th 1862
My Own Mary.
Many and
varied are the scenes I have passed
through since the sun dawned on the
morning of Thursday the 26
th of
June. With that day we the great
Army of the Potomac began a
retreat that in all the
[ ? ]of
[ ? ] or past history has been
nor will be equaled. when I heard
of Banks masterly retreat from the
Shenandoah Valley. I called it
the best ever made but McClellan has
eclipsed that. Throughout the North
you can not know the particulars of
our eight days retreat and fighting.
I will endeavor to tell you a part
of what I know
Thursday morning I volunteered for
Picket, took along my writing material
intending to write you as we were
to stay out two days. I omited to
write in the forenoon and it is just as
well, for Brewer wrote some and has
not sent them yet. About two P.M.
we were ordered to draw back for Jack
son with his whole army was going to
Mack us We fell back beyond Mechanics
ville into some intrenchments our men
had built Skirmish fighting com-
menced the action but at 4 P.M.
the fight
Im was in progress in all
its horrors. The Rebel artillery was
well served. I have seen a great
deal of artillery firing, but never
have seen any that in
[ ? ] ones
the opponent coolness with which it was
[ ? ] came any where near its lives
I went to sleep that night before the
shell had stopped bursting around me
the next morning the action was renew
but after two hours cannonading
we were ordered to fall back, with-
out as far as could see any good
season. We continued to retreat
past
[ ? ] fields a distance of five miles
the Rebs hard on our heels. Mac
selected a place that I thought when
we went on it we could hold it
against all the Rebs of Richmond.
At three P.M. the enemy came up. we
held them and also then at first,
but they had at least two to one and
came on us in a
[ ? ] our men
broke and ran. Our Capt. had taken us
from the field but Brewer and my-
self with four others of the Co. went
back to the field although Capt. ordered
us not to. we took our position in a
road and staid there until the Rebs
were within fifteen
miles rods of us
and as they were evidently intending
to occupy the very grounds I stood on. I left the enemy
scattered our men like
[ ? ]. After a while we made a stand
and held them until dark Brewer was hit slightly in the
leg during our retreat for the
[ ? ] In the night we crossed
the Chickahominy to the main body of our army. Saturday we
lay all night day in the wood. and in the night marched in
retreat again and all the next day.
And that night Sunday the 29
th we
(McCalls Div.) went out in advance
of every thing and lay concealed in
a piece of wood where it was ex-
pected the enemy would come if.
we were attached. It was a tiresome
lonely night to me. perfect silence
reigned through all that live long
night. I never felt so uncomfortable
Monday afternoon we were drawn
up in line of battle and it was
known Secesh was coming. I can
give you no just description of
the scences of that afternoon. the
enemy advanced upon us in the face
of a heavy and destructive artillery
fire as fast as the messages of
death opened their ranks they were filled
with others. Our men changed and
drove them from the field capturing
many prisoners.
