Head Quarters Near Turkey Run Oct 29/63

My Dear Father & Mother & Sisters
I set down to write you a few
lines to let you now that I just received
your letter to night and was very
glad to hear from you. And to give
you a little account that had bin
going on from the first of the mounth
up to this time. Oct 1st We ware on
the Rapadan River The 2st Their was a Dec-
erter Shot his name was Adam Smal
Co E 66th N.Y.Volls. The 3th their was 2
prisoners came in our lines to Day
the 4th their was no chainge. The 5th the
6 Corps came up to releve our corps to
come Back to the reare The 6th we started
back to the reare and come about 2 miles
on this side of Culpper and put up
Campe their. The 7th we went to work
and put up a log House The 8th we
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finished our House The 9th we started to
build a stable for our Hoarses and then
we got orders to move with 8 Days rashens
The 10th we marched about 4 miles South
west of Culpper and went in line of Battle
their. The 11th we got ordes to marche
at 3Oclock in the morning and fell back
as for as Bealton Station on this side
of Rapahanick River. The 12th we went
back on the other side of the River again
as fer as Brandey Station and the
Calvery had a fight their the 6th New
York Calvery maid 3 splended charges
on the Rebs their and drove the[m] Back
The 13th we had orders to march at 12
Oclock march as fer as Warrington Junction
and had a brush with them their
and laid on our arms all night. The
14th we up on the march at 3 Oclock in
the morning and went to Aubermiles
and their we ware to get time to make
coffe we just got our fires built and
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the Rebs seen the fires and they through
Shells write in to us before day light and
we had to get out of that in a hurrey and
made a charge on their battery an took
it and their we had a Sharpe time their and
then we fell Back as fer as Bristow station
and their we had a big fight their they
tacked us on a flank movement and we
drove them off the Battle Ground and
took 6 pieces of Artillery and 2 standes
of Cullors and 500 prisners and we
marche all night and got to Bull
run Battle Ground and their we stoped
for the rest of the night at Bristow I was
very neare being taken their I was sent
to the reare of our Division with the
Docter (Stiles) to wear we was going
to make the Hospital and as I was
comming back to the Division the
rebs ware trying to get in ourselves
they hollow at me to stop but I could
not see the point so I turne around
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a put the spur to the Hoarse and got a
way from them they shot at me 3 times
but it was now youse of them doing that
for they could not com it and I tolde
the Calvery of it and they maid
a charge on them and took them
prisoners. The 15th to Day we have bin
fighting all the time and Drove them
about 4 miles and our Corps lay on
the Battle Ground. The 16th last night
the Calvery got in the reare of their
and run them for miles the Calvery
got them on a open plain and maid
a charge on them and cut them all to
peaces and took some prisoners and it
has bin raining all Day The Calvery
has bin making a recorniting on the
other side of Bulls run to Day. And
we shot a Deserter out of my Regt
to Day his name is James P Herley
of Co B 116 Regt P Volls. he uste to be
about Guss Tavern as hostler he
was shot in the Head. He come out
as a substute in the 136th Regt P. Volls.
The 17th their was nothing new but
some calvery fighting going on our
right. and they moved up the
poontunes to Day The 118th we
are laying for Orders to marche
with the Hoarse saddle and we
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got 8 Days Rashens a gain for a nother
raid. The 19th we advance as fer as Bristol
Station and staid their for the night. The
20th we started on the marche a gain at
Daylight and went to Gainsvill and
then to Greenwitch and their we went
to Aubernmiles and got their at [10?]
Oclock at night The 21st 22nd their
was nothing new going on. The 23rd
we got Orders to marche again and
we went to a pleace they Call
Turkey Run about 3 miles fromm
Warrington and their we made
Head Quarters. The 24th 26th Nothing
new but some Calvery fighting going
on at Morrisvill or near Bealton Station
The 27th we got orders to get ready to
marche at a moment notice and then
we got orders at night to stay ware
we are and to be ready if they call
on us to come The 28th Nothing new
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Today is the 29th we are in the same
plaice yet we caught a chicken that
was running a round louse and so
we froze on to it and had some soup
out of it and it did not go bad for
a change. for when we are on a
marche the pigs and Chickens
has to suffer as the last Day
we marched I seen 8 or 10 little
pigs killed in side of 10 minets
we donte stope to scolde the hear
off of them we take the skin off
and it donte take longe to do it
when we are hungrey and out
of rashens the officers try to stop
it but it is nou yous of try it
for it is all over before they get
to them It is fun some times
to see them the Boys starte
up a rabbit and then the best
one get it one folling over the tope
of the other it wonte make now
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differne how tirde they are of marching
but if a rabbits happen to jump up
then look out for hollowing and
running for than it then you would
laught to burst your sides out
to see the fun. Well I must stop
writting for I think i have give
you a pritty good account of the
march and thing that was going
on a long the march from the first
of the mounth to this time
So give my love to to Mrs & Mr
Apple and the rest of the Famley
and give my best respects to Anty
& Beckey Joice and all of the rest
of my Friend So my love to you
all of you So good by and write
soon
From your Son
Wm A Smith
Turkey. Run. Va
[1] (see last page-poem)
[2] hear is a peace that I cut out of
a paper that I found at Aubern
I think i now how it is
it is from quarrey street
that is ware Gorge [Oat?]
lives Shop is so how
our C. M Frame