Seven miles from Richmond June
8th 1862 Dear Wife
knowing that you wo-
-uld worry about me knowing of my Sick=
=ness but my heath is as good as bran new
although I do not feel quite as Strong
as I did before I was taken Sick my
mind is So much Stonger than it was
when I wrote before that I do not feel
like the Same person I know that I
did write foolish for my mind was very weak
and I think at the best very foolish and
laboring under the fever and as the
Doctor said I broke it by my exertion
not by medicine for I had none
my officers gave me great praise for
my resolution I had the best of resolution I
was bound to get well for I never once
thought of giving up and I thank
God that he gave me Such a resolution
I found him good in time of need
[Page 2]
I could Say with the psalmist he was
my refuge and I hope I Shall not be
forgetful of his mercies in time of
health I wish to live unto him dayly
as I live upon S him God has Said
that he is ever ready to remember those
that look unto him John’s health is
poor he has the Rhumatism Some So
he cannot move with the Regt as
Soldiers do in ranks I hope he will not
be so long for I Should hate to move
and leave him behind but Such is
the fate of war but when I was left
behind I was suffering from the
fever I well know that he felt bad
to leave me he could follow up the
Regt in the rear but he would have
to move very Slow he feels quite
well at hart So much So he can eat his
ration as well as myself and I do beli=
=eve that if it was not laying on the
ground he would be as smart as
ever in a short time but the ground
[Page 3]
is bad for the rhematic pains and a
Sort of the Ague with it it makes him
move very Slow but as for me I feel
as limber as an eel perhapse you may
think I am more spritly then when at
home I know for one thing that I am
a great deal heartier then when I was
at home for I know that I can
Stand more than I could when I first
left home if you Should doubt it you
would not if you Should See the fare we
have you would not doubt my Story but
enough of this the truth of the Armeys
Sufferings will never be known
by mankind and I hope that it may
never be known why our Army fights
at tall is more than I can account
for from the Simple reason that
pride causes us to Stand to the rack
hay or no hay God being for us
perhapse is the cause and annother
thing is that rebelion is about played
out for McClellan thinks that this
[Page 4]
is the last Strugle we Shall have
with the foe McClellan praises our
Division Greatly for what they done on
that day Sunday morning what of the Division
was not in the fight Saturday afternoone
was in on the morning and they did
Suffer half as our Brigade did on
Saturday for they had to fall back
on account of vastly Superior number
but they did not fall back until
they had strewed the ground with the
dead and wounded our boys did not
Suffer much till they had to fall back
from their covering then the enemy
had a good chance to peper them
with balls and it was the greatest
wonder that they did not all get
killed but Still they killed and wounded
full more than one third that was in the
ingagement that I know myself if they
Say what they may in the paper the killed
and wounded in our company was 14
our company was cut up more than
any company it was very Small
on the day of the fight not numbering more
than forty I guess I will Say no more
[Page 5]
about our Company our Colonel was
wounded twice various very dangerous
our Major was killed right down and
Adutant of the Regt is very Sick and
our Preacher is Sick also we have a Lieu=
tenant Colonel is yet with us that
is all the line officers that are left
Some of the Captains got wounded
but one Lieutenant I guess I will not Say
much more for I guess that I shall weary
your patience by writing So long I would
give you the description of the seen but
papers may give you a description of
the battle in killed and wounded I will
Some day give you something of a
true detail of the killed and wounded
for I believe I know midling well
for I have learnt from experience and
from officers So I can tell very near
the just amount but the rebels loss
was more than two thousand more
[Page 6]
than ours God alone knows how many
were left unburried they Say that there was
one field covered So thick that a person could
walk over the field by steping on their bodies
I would walk over there if had wished but
I have Seen Sights enough the Artillery right
close to where we are in camped in the road
they layed five to Six deep cut down
by grape from our Cannon our men
done great work Sunday morning I will
not try to Say any thing more about
that for it makes me feel Sick to
think of it write as often as you can
and I will try and do the Same
you have a good chance to write and
if you do not recieve a letter from
me you must write often if you did
not recieve one from me for I
am moving all around from
time to time Give my love to all
my friends if any Such Should be
and keep a good Share yourself
This from your Husband and best friend LA.Granger