Lyman Barton to Hiram Barton
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I now take this opertunity to answer your letter that I received
some time ago but have not had time to answer it before my
health is good We left Deep creek the 19th of Apr marched to
Portsmouth 7 milds took the boat to New Port news marched
about 5 milds that night encamped for the night the next day
we marched to little Bethell 10 milds got to York town the
next day 10 milds staid there till the 4 of May then took
the boat for City Point & landed at a place a little
above city point called Stoney point I think marched in the
direction of Petersburg lay in
camp a day in
camp a day or two Started in the direction of Peters burg,
the 7 of May skirmished most all day lay under heavy fire
for 2 ½ hours of canon and musketry our loss 71 killed and
wounded then we came back to camp lay in camp one day then
started for Petersburg again skirmished all day got within 3
milds of Petersburg we lost 1 killed 2 wounded staid there
the night tore up Railroad telegraph wire and came back to
camp The next day, lay in camp one day then started in the
direction of Fort Darling skirmished all day came to the
rebs works the 14 lost 2 killed all still Sunday heavy fog
in the morning Monday the Rebs attacked us at day light and
give us a good licking and we are back in camp now and
pretty well licked to I do not
how many we lost
yesterday H. H. Barton and Russ Wood was down here this
morning they got back all right Charles Wright Merch and
george Vernet were wounded Crosby Groff was killed I saw in
the paper that James Barton was wounded and died May 10 C
Wright was left on the field so we do not know how bad he
was hurt We have got 3 days rations orders to be ready to
march at 6 o clock tomorrow morning it is hard telling where
we shall go when we went out we did not take any blankets
and our coats are all sent off and it rained 3 days and
nights so you can judge whether we had a good time or not
lying on the ground and the rain poreing down wet through
and through
I can not think of any thing more
this time so good by Write at your earliest conveniance
from your affectionate BrotherLyman A. Barton
M. M. Barton
Direct to
Co K 8 Cv
Washington DC
18 A.C.