Head Quarters Bull Run Oct 18th /63
Dear Father & Mother & Sisters
I take my pen in hand to write you
a few lines to let you now that I received your letter
last night and was glad to hear from you all
I am pretty well at presant and I hope these few
lines will find you the same Well I cant give
you the scription of the Battle now I will give
you the hole of is as soon as I can get a chance
to for we are laying hear under Orders with the Hoarse
Saddle redy to go in a moment notic we had a very
hot time of it a Bristle Station they ware on bothe
sides of us their they tacked us on a flanke
movement they open fire on us at day light
and through Shell write in ware we had head
Quarters we ware all off of our Hoarse when the
Shell comence coming their Their was axaterment
with us then I had to Hoarse their was some offel
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jumping done then but when we come up to Broade Run
their we had a big fight and their the rebs like to
got me i was orderd to go back to the reare and
I went back and went over ware we had a Hospittle
I was comming back to the Division a gain and
I was comming a long and looked over the field
and seen the Jonneys coming write in our reare
and I stoped then a looked and I turne my Hoarse a
round they fired at me then and I put the spures to
the Hoarse then and got off they shot at me 3 times
that is the first time I had the Rebs tell me to
halt but I did not halt for them and went
back to the Hospital and toald the Calvery of
it and they maid a charge on them and
took a lot of them prisoners I expspect you will see it
in the papers a bout the 2nd Corps taken
6 pieces of artillery and two standings of Culores
and 600 prisners we had to fight to battles that
day and General Mead give me a great blowe
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in the papers about it. Well I must stope writing
for I donte now when I can write again for I
have not got any thing to write on the ground
and I can write that way So good by to
you all and give my love to Mrs Apple
and all the rest of my friends and I will
give you the account of it as soon as we stop march
ing I have got it down in my Book as I go along
and I will give you the account from the first of
the mounth and every days doings all a long
when we get in to camp again So good by
From you Sone
Wm A Smith
please send me some more Sta[m]ps for I owed them all
but one to my pardner

we are fighting a gain off in frunts of
us the cannens are a worke now