Henry A. Smith to Family
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I received you letter of the 7th Sept in due time also the money I answered the
letter the 11th and put it in the mail with the letter containing the 12 dollars you
ought to receive them both the same time it was luckey that you got the one with the
money. I recd you letter dated the 18th yesterday As you did not get my other letter
I will write some that wrote before We joined the regt. near Munsons Hill then moved
back here and Camped shall stay here untill we get recruited and get some new horses
my old horse I left at Warrenton all used up and bunged up then took another to ride
here and used him up by the time we got to Manassas there I left
the regt
to get along the best I could not knowing the road I got out on to the battle field
but soon found out which way I could go and which I could not from there I went a
foot to Centreville and led my horse and laid down in the wet grass to get a little
rest the next morning I was luckey enough to find our own teams I got into one of
them and rode to Alexandria I have no horse now Gene has been sick with the Tiphoid
fever has got some better The man that was tied to the tree had his horse hitched to
a post eating Oats the Orderly Sergeant told him to tie him to ano ther place said
that was his place the man did not obey his order and he reported him to the
Lieutenant and the Lieut then ordered him to stand on a barrel to punish him and he
said he would not stand there for spectators to look at he was then tied to a tree
and to be kept there untill he was willing to stand I have wrote
to Father
on the barrel there he hung 36 hours without any thing to eat or drink
all the time about half the regt collected to gether and cut him down in spite of the
Officers then they gave the Orderly three groans and called for a rail feathers and
tar the rail was brought but the Chaplin made a little speech and advised the boys to
return to their tents which they done after giving him three cheers the man was kept
under guard four days and released his name is John H Willard of Hartland. I suppose
Carter was in the battles in Maryland at least his Division was it was not far from
Manassas the I saw him last it would be impossible for me to find him as he is far
from hear I fear he is killed I dont dont think you had better sell the Oxen. Some of
the boys have got body Guards as they call them little live fellows on their Shirts
but do all they can to guard aganst them but I will tell you another
story now We got in last night from a long Scout been chasing rebels again went out
as far as Fairfax C h and took the right hand road got up as far as Aldie and came to
the rebel pickets followed them all the afternoon till night started the next morning
and found about a dozen of them on picket we got within 10 rods of them before they
ran they fired one shot and wounded Henry Holt in the hip we chased them about 15
miles they would stop at every hill and fire at us then run about 5 miles beyond
Uperville they made a stand about one regiment of them Co I on the right deployed as
Skirmishers and Co E on the left the rest of the regt in the road with drawn Sabres
this way we advanced within 40 rods of them here the Carbines cracked away smart it
sounded like poping corn Co I had gone round a little hill and got partly behind them
then the boys in the road we knew were Charging by the loud fierce yells
The rebels had to climb a rail fence and before all got over our boys reached them
with their Sabres Lieut Col Preston lately promoted was wounded in the arm Capt
Perkins of Co H was killed his Lieut wounded in three places and three or four
privates were wounded four rebels killed about 15 prisoners and one Lieutenant Col
taken he had 5 Sabre cuts on his head he said it was the damdest Cavalry he ever saw
every one that came along hit him a cut over the head, we also took two rebel teams
mules and drivers and if we had got there 24 hours sooner could took 900 teams they
were completely routed and all Skedaddled out of sight a place name Middleburg we
went through in the night and when we went back about 800 rebels were there sick and
wounded all were taken and Paroled [There] we had a fair chance to
see a
specimen of the rebel Army no two were alike some wore raged coats
and pants some bare foot and bare head and some without Shirts there were some pretty
girls with their noses and mouthes out of shape not a great many Soldiers have passed
through them parts I should think by the looks of the country I have got the Gun all
done up ready to send I am going to send it by Express if I can get a pass to go to
the City am afraid I cant send it at all I dont think of any more to write now answer
soon
FromHenry A Smith