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Regiment: U.S. Volunteers Birge’s Sharpshooters
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
No. 16 Headquarters 66
th Ills Regt Vols
Near Atlanta Georgia Aug 10th /64
It is with pleasure that I take
My pen in hand to pen you a few lines in
Answer to your ever kind letter of July 31
st I was
glad to hear that you were all well as usual
My health is good and I am in the best of spirits
about a week ago I had a quite hard time I had
the cholic. I was some weak for Day or two
but I am hearty as a buck now I have no news
of any importance to write night before last
we had another man killed dead we were out on
the skirmish line + at night we crawled up on
the rebs for it was pretty Dark and we Dug some
rifle pits within 10 rods of the rebels we dare
not speak a loud word but I tell you we made that
Dirt fly until we got our pits made But while
we were at work there was one of our boys shot
through the head He lived about ten minutes
but he never groaned His name was
W. E. Chambers he lived at Battle Creek. He
was a new recruit. but he was a good soldier
and always stood right up to the rack wal
when Daylight came we found that we were
nearer the rebs than we supposed we were
near to them than liked to have us so they
thought that they would gig back
a little. For the last ten days we have been Driving them
back inch by inch + we have gained about one
half of a mile + yesterday our whole lined advanced
up into another line of breastworks it is the
general opinion now that they are evacuating as fast
as they can On our right the 23
rd Corps General
Schofield in command had a pretty hard fight two
Days ago they advanced there lines + the rebs did
not appear to like their plan very well so they pitched
into them but the old 23
rd Corps more than went
into them + gave them a good fleecing + the rebs
lost heavily you wrote in your letter that you
had read in the paper about another battle on the 22
nd
and how gallantly General Dodge’s men fought Oh my Dear
sister, we did some most Desperate fighting
we all seen our situation that we had either got to
do Desperate fighting or be taken Prisoners so we all
made up our minds to fight till we died before we
would be taken + we won the battle but oh Dorcas
how many fell to rise no more on that day I never
shall forget it the rebels planted their colors within
four rods of us but we took the colors men + all in
out of the wet our color bearer was killed = the
color guards were most all killed but as our colors fell there
was more than fifty jumped to pick them up + in less than
a minute they were again bravely waving in the air +
bidding Definance to all (who) attempted to trample on them
they got pretty badly torn up there was thirty-three
holes put through them. but we still cling to them
+ we feel proud in doing so but I must hasten to a close
this half sheet is the one that I received from you as
paper is scarce I thought that it would do just as well
I should not think that you could Grumble much about me
not writing for it seems to me that I am writing nearly
all the time + I intend to write often for I know that
there is anxious minds there always ready to receive news
from here. My love to one and all of the family
keep up in good spirits and don’t get Discouraged. So I will
close by bidding you good bye for this time from your
true and affectionate Brother, Pros
To Dorcas Boyer Prosper Bowe
