William Bruidnell and Samuel Morey to William Wirt Henry
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To Lieut W.W. Henry
Dear Friend In which I hope that I may have the pleasure in calling you by that
name Sir it has been never my good luck to corspond with many of those of whom I
should been glad too but sir by the wish of your humble Servent William
Bruidnell I shall improve a few moments in writing to one who always felt a deep
intrest in the welfare and happiness of Company D. I suppose sir by this time
you have learend the full account of the six days desperate fighting near
Richmond. I have [seeing] so many things during the time that
by trying to give you a full acount of what was going on in our Division and in
others it would be a task that I am not capable of doing and [] it would
be a perfect falure in me to describe the Scenes and horrors of the Battle
field. by making my words as short as posable I will give you a few extracts of
the bloody conflict on Thursday the 26th the enemy commenced a attack on the
right Near Mechanicville about 2 oclock thus keeping a terrific fire of
artillery and musketery untill nine that night. during this time our men drove
them causing a frightful slaughter among the foe early next morning the contest
was renued by Porter Mead and Sloukem Divisions the enemy coming on with over
pouring numbers but still our brave Soldiers keep them in check untill about
four oclock they commenced falling back gradually towards the
Chickhommey bringing thier left under cover of our heavy guns that were on this
side towards Richmond. her is where the Rebs undertook to capture what forces
and what artillery we had on that side of the creek for thier hellish undertaken
we opend on them with our big sege guns from this side cross fireing them and at
the same time Porter and Sloukem engageing them with musketery and artillery in
which caused terror in thier ranks for they had to give away in great confusion
but this did not settle the bloody conflict for that day. for they soon opend on
the same side that we were on with about 20 pieces of artillery while we were
doing good servise for our Brothers on the other side this caused quite a Stir
among all Quarters for we did not expect them so soon altho the boys stood under
arms all day the general was eating Supper at the time they opend fire on
Division the shot and shell droped like hail among all the tents and killing a
sentanel in front of the Generals Quarters at the same time the Brigade marched
by regiment each one finding a place of shelter from the enemys batteries while
our artillery was doing good service but finding that they could not do anything
to bad for thier unholy cause thy commenced on our picket with musketery to
drive our boys from those misly constructed earth work in which they had Built
the night before this soon started the Brigade on dubble quick to the picket
line when Lewis Dodge got wounded in the hip and Perry slitly wounded her when
the rebs made three atemps to drive our boys from the rifle pits but each time
failed that night all our troops crossed the Chickhommey and were falling back
gradually towards Savage Station for the enemy were turing our right so fast
that on friday Saturday morning
the whole army commenced
falling back but still keep up a heavy firing when about five oclock in the
afternoon the enemy commenced another hubbub on our Brigade or in other words a
[] dash trying to out flank us, when our boys opened with musketery and
at the same time advancing and driving the enemy this is where terance roddy got
wounded while skirmishing a ball struck him in the sole of the foot while taking
quick steps back to the company Thurston and Clupp was wounded in the arms all
slightly the General was wounded about the knee while cheering on the boys for
they had drove the enemy before them and took some prisnors this is when our
Brigade lost the most by trying to keep the enemy back from the station which
was only half a mile in the rear of us. all night our boys keep marching towards
white oak swamp and at the same time action as rear Guard they arrived thir
early next morning and stacked arms some making coffee and others went to sleep
for many of them were tired by troughing up earth work to coverd their retreat
this place our boys intended to give them a warm reception when about three
oclock to their supprise the enemy opend with a terrible fire of artilllery 30
peaces or more on our Division while half of them were a sleep. everything seems
demoralised and sised with a panic for about five minutes when they soon
recovered doing good service. the enemys fire of shell and grape was at first so
staggering that the boys could not form nor our artillery men could not bring
their batteries into service. Capt Mott lost all his guns in the first part of
the engagement but afterwards re- covered them I think he lost most all his
horses and gunners and a few limber boxes and one gun that he could not carry
with him this engagement lasted until dusk keeping our owen in spite of the
enemy but still falling back towards the James river they was heavy firing of
musketry and artillery on our left the next day but nothing
of any
importance in our Division their arriving on the Banks of the James river on
wensday eavening mud knee deep the rain pouring from the heavens I assure you
that you can well imagine the feeling of the poor soldiers worn out by long
march and weary days of labor. Hart Moody was detailed to help some wounded
soldiers to the hospital about the 27 but had not returned to his company since
then the last one that saw him was me. he then was two miles beyond Savage
station laying near a big tree I suppose he stayed untill the Rebels came along
for he would rather be with them than his Company I will say nothing more about
him but I do pitty him if he should return to company D Corpl. Turner is all
right he was with the Balloon Near General McLellans headquarters the boys all
like Capt Johnson he dose all that a man can do for the boys Col Whiting is
[] as general while Brooks is gone on a leave of absence to Washington
the old fellow was pretty hard on the boys after they arrived her but lately he
is growing better the boys in our company all feel in good spirit thir has two
died since we left Yorktown one dodge, a brother to the one that is wounded and
Andrew Hill those two died in front of Richmond we are now encamped one mile
from the James river on a beautiful plantation when we first came her about one
hundred acres of corn and well cultivated but now everything look in ruins you
cannot see a stalk of corn as big as your finger everything has gone only a
meeting house the weather has been very warm for the last three weeks but
yesterday and to day is qu ite plesant
I must close by sending all my old acquaintance my best wishes not forgetting yourself
I am Sir your &c &cWilliam Bruidnell and Samuel Morey