[1] Chapins Fram Sunday Oct. 9th 1864
Dear wife
Inspection of arms is just over So
I will give you a fiew lines to let you know
we are all alive and kicking yhet But it
looked Kindy squalley on friday for a little
while I can tell you the Rebs attacted us
in the morning and took us By Surprise
they drove our pickets in and Surrounded
our calvery and took some of them prisoners
and tryed to turn our Right and came verry
near doing it I can tell you But our
men Rallied and then the fun commenced
But I dont call it fun for its a kind of
fun that I dont like they charged our
Brestworks three times But it was to
Hot for them and they found more
than they Bargind for for our men
gave it to them you can Bet for they
lost about 1500 killed wounded and
prisoners and our loss was But small
[page 2]
our Regiment wasent in action But we
lay where the shells came uncomforably
close dor they flew over our Heads like
Hail none of our Regiment was Hit at
all But one shell struck about two feet
from andrew Pace and Bill Black and
Jim davises Heads the Rebs want this
works that we are in But will find a
Hard task to get it we Expect another
attact from them in a day or two
But are prepaored for it I was out
on the Battle field on saturday and
saw the Johnes laying there in evry
direction it looked Hard I can
tell you to see dead men laying all
over the ground our Boys found some
letters on them and Reble money
and Reble Post stamps I send one Home
in this letter we haint got no letters
from Home yhet since we left Phila
the Rebble diserters come in evry night
[page 3]
there was seven came in last night
five of them came in close to where
our company lay they say they are
short of Rations and tiard of the war
they say there was a Riot in Richmond
the other day and they had to send for a
whole Brigade to quell it our army
is closing around Richmond But it is
allmost imposible to take it By Storm
But there is nothing imposible with gen
Grant for He would Storm old nick
Himself I Believe for the works that He
took from the Rebs Between deep Bottom
and Here are strong ones that is true
this Sunday soldiering is played
out with Him for Evrry man that is
under Him must fight when he asked
them to He is a good man But dont care
How manny men He kills for when He
Says go it must fo and there is no use
of talking I am afraid I cant vote for
I haint got no Receipt for my taxes
[page 4]
you must Have the [geese?] fat for
we are going to to [??] the war and Be
Home on new years that is if we
dont Slip up on it you must Right
often for we will get letters after
[???????????????????????????????] [2]
anxious to Hear from Home
[?????] to Send our Receips so we
can vote for President that is if
[??] Haint sent them all Ready
we Have plenty to eat and get a Ration
of whiskey Every dau we have [got?] [????] [3]
[????????] plenty of it and [plenty?]
[????????????????????????????????]
[????????????????????????????????]
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[???] Eating them [???] Buggers
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[??] cold as [winter?] nearly [???]
[?????] I must Close for the want
of paper write [often?] [????????]
[????????????] Nesbitt