Md Camp at or near Fredrick City Wednesday Eve July 1st 1863 My Darling wife

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My last letter was written from Harpers Ferry last Sunday, but I think it is doubtful if you ever get it for things have been pretty badly mixed up in this depart- ment since then. Yesterday morning we received orders to abandon Harpers Ferry, and destroy every thing that could not be moved at once. We got ready and left at three o'clock P. M. while we were laying on the side of Maryland heights, and just under the crest of the height, while the sixth Maryland Regt. were preparing a Magazine to destroy it, by some accident it was exploded prematurely and killed and wounded about one hundred of the 6th and 7th Maryland Regts. There was

20 tons of shells, and I do not know how much powder. The pieces of shell, rocks and bullets fell on all sides of us but in a perfect torrent, but strange to say only one man was hurt, and that slightly, on the knee, belonging to our Regt. We had an awful march of it last night, and it rained very hard. I lay down so sleep at wet as possible, but strange to say am as well as ever to day. we made a forced march to this place as we expected the Rebs would try to cut us off from joining the main Army of the Potomac, but we are here safe and sound. I expect we are to follow

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on after the 'Grand Army" as they are now on ahead of us on their way to Penn. We are two days behind them - five big Army Corps have passed here and there must be a fight or a big foot race very soon. Genl Hooker is out and Genl. Meade in command. The papers say it gives great satisfaction in the Army, but it is no such thing- and again "as strange as it may seem" the whole cry of the army is "give us back McClellan again- if we stop here tomorrow I will try and get some Ink and write you a better letter, but the train goes out to Baltimore at 6 oclock in the morning Excuse this as I have to write on my knee. All our boys first rate.

as everWilliam