Henry Harrison Wilder to Mother
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Mrs Joseph Hayward
MiddleburyVermont
Wiliamsburg VaMay 7th 1862Dear Mother
Yourse of the 30th come to hand last night it found me as
usual and an other Union Victory is gained since my last York Town is worse and
and two hundred prisoners I will try to give you a history of the battle as far
as I know last Sabath morn Channcy Merrill & myself waked up the Sun had not
risen but it was a splendid morning we all three took a walk down to the batries
all was still not a gun to be hurd we looked over to the Enimies works and all
was still thare we went back to the Company nothing going on unusual yet the Co
falls in for breakfast stop what do we hear fall in under arms is the order we
fall in without breckfast and the Regt startes & marches down when we three
had ben there was 9 usual Smith and staf Genral Brooks and all the Ofisers of
rank the
5th Vt was the first than we was
ordered acros the river and went you may try to imagine the surprise &
astonishment of the 5th when we got into the Rebels works
and not a man of the enemy than they had gone there comenced the persuits the
Army all started marched all day come up with the rear guard of the Enamy quest
at night had a little brush but if no importance we then encamped for the night
some time in the night it comeneced to rain morning com at last and with it
comeneced the fight and continued to rian Hankocks Brigade Sickels and Davidsons
Son the fiting it lasted all day as well as the rain they took all the Rebels
works and mustered them Brooks had his men in rediness all day and started for
the field twise but was ordered back so you see I was not in actual engagment
night come at last and we put up the tents and [ ] down for the night some time in the night it stoped
raining morning come and with it come a plesant
day we marched on to
the field when the fight was we come up onto a visc of ground by the side of our
of their earth works and stoped we looked out on the field in front of us than
was small black spots all over the field what was they ah! they wer the [ ] of the enamy that the Rifle and
christer and grape shot from our guns had layed low to let you know somthing of
it one shot from one of our canons [ ] with
canister killed all but [ ] from our Co in the
5th North Carolina Regt I was buisey all the fornoon
yesterday helping cary of the wounded prisoner and of all the rights & ever
see that was a worot I will nto try to discribe it I will give a discription of
one nor worse than a great many other the balls for than was two our wint in at
his mouth I think it must have ben open for it did not [ ] his life nor teath this one come out on the back of his
neck the other [ ]through
his life
thare is two hundred of the wounded prisoners I dont know the exact number
killed betwen 6 and 7 hundred in all the as on what one Brigade killed we are
not without some loss it is stated that the [ ]
loss of killed wounded & missing is two thousand the Rebels have left this
plase enterly it is not known whose they have gon it is thought they have gon to
Ritchmond we are going down that way in a short time New Orleans is in our
posesion Buragard has left Corinth they are all on the retreat and at no far
distant day I hope to see the end of affare we are in the rear that is this
Devision and in all probablity we shall not see any more of the enamy for a
long time to come and perhaps never it is now thought by all that
this war is about done and that one or two short months will fetch the Rebels to
turns I think of nothing more this time so
good by
give my best respects to all
mutch love to yourselfH H Wilder