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(Created page with "Letter from Charles L. Powell, Jr (Camp near Orange CoHo) to Sister (Hattie or Rebecca?)<br /><p>Braxton’s Artillery – A. P. Hill’s Division</p><br /><p>14 August 1862</...") |
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Latest revision as of 13:49, 28 July 2017
Letter from Charles L. Powell, Jr (Camp near Orange CoHo) to Sister (Hattie or Rebecca?)Braxton’s Artillery – A. P. Hill’s Division
14 August 1862
Powell Papers – 65 P875, Box III, Folder 1
- - - - -
Camp near Orange C H
Aug 14th – 1862
My Dear Sister
Although as you see I
have mot a very clean piece of
paper to write upon I have
taken it in my head that I would
write you a small letter, although
realy I think that you owe me
several already. I suppose you are
anxious to know how I like
camp life on better acquaintance
Well I have come to the conclu
sion that I like it very well
notwithstanding living without
any thing to eat and sleaping
as I march along. all of which I
have been doing for the last
week, besides being in a pretty
hard fight in the bargain.
I got very much excited during
The fight and must confess
that our own guns scared
me more than the Yankees
The first time we fired our piece
[2]
I jumped back about four feet.
Our Battery did not go into the
fight until about two hours
after it began when we were
ordered to the front put into position
and fired away pretty soon the
Yankees opened fire on us but
did not hurt anyone. The battle
was continued until after twelve
oclock this night in the mean
while we had driven the enemy
more than two miles, when
we stoped firing we all laid
down by the guns and
slept until four in the morning
on waking up we found that
the Yankees had several Batterys
bearing on us and if they had
fired they would have killed
almost every one of us we staid
there until sun rose when
we were ordered away much
to our relief I assure you
We were expecting every minute that
they would open on us, all that
day we were retiring from
[3]
the field, first half the battery
would retire to a position and
then the other half would
retire to some position behind
that and so we did all day
at one time we were three
quarters in front of any infantry
at all, a Yankee Regt of
Cavalry could have taken
the Battery several times that
day if they had known
our fix. The Yankees were
very careful how thye followed
us they were afraid Jackson
was leading them into a trap
Our Battery was the last to
leave the field having acted
as rear guard to the whole
army. On that night we started
back to Orange C. H. and reached
there about the middle of the
next day rested there until
this morning when we came
here and are now in Camp
where no one knows how long
we may stay probably a week
or two I wrote to Pa yesterday
and told him I would not have
time to write to you all so.
I expect you will
[4]
hear from him that I am well
I saw the Rockbridge Battery
nobody hurt there. I have
heard of no one that I know
who was either killed or wounded
I saw Powell Grady yesterday
he looks very well and told
me to give his best love to you
if I should write to you
I like the officers and men
of my Battery very much
indeed. Capt Braxton is a
very kind gentlemanly man
and is considered one of
the best Artillery officers in
the army. There are a great
many gentlemen in the Co
and my mess is a very pleasant
one indeed so you see I
am very pleasantly situated
indeed. I am very well
and very well satisfied
since I have been in Virginia.
I expect to go to Gordonsville
after the mail for the Company
tomorrow. I recd yesterday
a letter from Ma and one
from Nina. Please write to them
or send them this. I will write
to some of you all when ever I can.
Please write to me often my Dear Sister
Direct to Braxton’s Artillery
A.P. Hills Division
Gordonsville
