July 15th 1862
My Dear Sister
I know you have been looking for
this a long time and now come I fear it wont
be much for I am not well immediately after
our return from the big yankee chase I was taken
with the intermittent fever, but am now most well
again I received your letter of the 1st July
written just 12 months from the time I left
home and that was the very day I got in
to a fight, the fight at Malvern hill, the
strongest contested battle of any fought, I can
no better describe to you the way the shell and
grape shot that fell around us that than to compare
it to a heavy rain
I know you have heard many account of the great
battles, but the imagination cannot fun[?] hafl half
the horrows and interesting scenes that could be seen
on the battle field we drove the yankees through 15 miles
of breast works and batteries think if a battle field
three miles long and a mile wide, literally strewn
with the dead and dieing, it hardens ones heart
beyond conception the day after the fight on 27 June
I was not with the regt and had a good chance looking
over the battle field I think no more of walking over
a dead man now than you would a hog, the
yanks have been badly whiped, they threw away
thousands of blankets and overcoats and clothing of all
sorts a great many wagons were burned up, there
can be no estimate made if their loss a great
deal of which we saved you know I have often
wished a chance at the yankees I am satisfied
now after a weeks fight that is we were
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exposed to their shells for nearly a whole week
I dont care now if I never hear another bom or
ball, the fight in the 1st July, this division
commanded by D H Hill lost 3000 men he is an
old fool any how, old Stone Wall Jackson would
fight a week and not looss half that number
old Stone Wall is a great man I wish you could
see him he makes one think of an old fox hunter
but I tell you he knows how to hunt yanks
his men almost worship him he can never pass a
a regt of them without being cheered and he
is one of the most unassumeing men I ever saw
and by the way, a great Presbyterian
we fared very rough the 15 days we wer after the
yanks nothing to eat but hard cracker and boiled
meat with the exception of what we grabed from the
yanks [meat?] sugar coffee sometimes a little butter
and vegetable soup, and nothing for a [cloud?] but
canipy for covering nothing for a wall but the
hill of nature, but one again we have got back to
camp I must state that on friday the 27 June I
was not with the regt during the fight but was
on the the battle field but the regt done no fight
ing that day I become so much fatigued I
stoped a short time before the regt did so did many
others, our regt has very near played out, there is not
a hundred and fifty men fit for duty
I am glad to see the children improve so in writing
tell John I am much obliged to him for his few
lines what was very well done I will close now
and write again in a day or two for I am
too nervous to continue give all my love
and tell them that the god of
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battles brought me safe through a perfect
storm of shot and shell when many of my
old friends fell close by my side, thanks to
my God for the deliverance I have seen men
so badly mangled by shells that they could
scarcely be recognized as human bodies
I have not written as much as I expected but I
must close I am anxious to hear from you
again Lewis & John is well
good bye James