Camped Near Pig Point Va Jan 10
			1862

My Dear Brother
	I rec a good letter
of the 4th inst yesterday
and was very happy to
hear from you and hear 
that you were all so well
and had got the Addition
of a Boy to your Family,
that makes you $1000
more in than you was 
before. Then you have add
-ed one of my names to 
his.  Well I guess I shall
have to make him a Presant.
Perhaps some rellic of the
War. Rachel rather thought
you did not want her
to visit you, and I do
not blame you if you 
did not under the circumst
-ances. She will visit you
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now as soon as it is proper
for Lydia to rec. Company.
You ask me to give you
a discription of the late 
Battle. You have had a much
better account of it than
I can give. I might perhaps
tell you the part our Battery
took in the Fight. We
arived at the Bank of the
Rappahonnock in the Morn
-ing and had to halt there
till Noon for other Troo
-ps to pass over. Up to
this time there had not 
been a gun (Cannon) fired 
by the Rebes on our left
nor at any other place
along their lines that
I know of, our Position
was on the extreme Left
of our Armey in Doubledays
Division Reynolds Corps and
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Franklins Grand Division,
as I said we stoped on this 
side of the River till Noon
and then crossed. (over on Ponton
Bridges) We went up the
other Bank on to the
Table land or Plains, about 
500 yds from the River
and were just a going
in to a line on the left
of a nother Battery, not
to unlimber our Guns
but to stop in that Posit
-ion till the rest of
our forces got across) when
the Rebeles opned on us
(direct at our Battery) from
their Guns on the Hights
in our Front at a Distance
of 2000 or 3000 yds
from us.  the
Shell came and Bursted
not far from us. We
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were Started of on
the Double qwick to a
Bowlen Green Road and
nearer to the Rebes to
Reply to them. We done
so and keped it up for
two or three hours. The
Rebes Replying to us, we
did not fire very fast
however for it was
most to far to fire to 
do much execution, finaly
we ceased firing for the
day, it was here as at
Antietum, we commenced
the fighting there and
so we did at the Battle
of Fredericksburg, on the
Left at least. There was
one other Battery that
commenced at or nearly
the same time we did.
There was no one hurt on
our Side (or in our Battery)
during this fight, it was 
only an Artillery Duell.
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We Sleped by our Guns
this Night. I was on
Guard and could hear
the Rebel Waggons most
all Night and Early in
the Morning I could
hear the Rebel Hornes
blow &c, in the fore
part of the Night
the Rebes set fire to a
House two Barnes and
Several Stacks of Straw
and Grain and I do not
know but hay. These
were nearly half way
between our Pickett and
theirs, it made a
Splended Light you
better believe, and
lasted for some time
being on a level plain
we could see for a long
distance. Why they
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6
burned them I have
never learned. The
next Morning we 
moved down further
to the left where our
(Doubledays) Division was.
We had not been there
long before we began
to advance on the Rebes.
Their Skourmishers were
drove in and our Battery
was pushed forward with
our Skourmishers to Shell
a piece of Woods. We done
so and had some fun to
See the Rebes (Grey Backs)
Skedadle out of the Bushes.
They also Catched a
a cross fire from some
of our Guns that were
on the other side of the
River. We drove back 
a Rebel Battery that
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was firing at us and
caused us some trouble
and drove in their Sko
-urmishers and then
ours and our Division
advanced to the Woods
and took posession of
them. We then advanced
and took a new position
and opned on the Rebes
across the Road (I spoke 
of) and more to the 
Right where they had
a Strong position in
the Edge of some woods
and on a hill. When the
Infantry advanced to the
woods (which were on 
the Bank of the River 
and to our Left) some
of our Battery Boys went
there also and found 4 
Rebes hid in a revein.
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They took them Prisoners
and got 3 Swords one Sharps
Carbine and one muskit.
They felt like heroes then 
you  better believe. Well
our Battery fired from 
the last position (which
I told you they took) till
about Noon and then
advanced a few hundred
yds further and opned 
on a Rebel Battery further
to the left, our Battery
occupied this Position till
nearly Dark, it was here
we lost three Men killed
one severly, named Halbrook.
I helped cary him of
the field, and doing so
we had to pass through
one of the worst fires of
Shell and Solid Shott from
the Rebes that I ever exp
-erianced with one exception
and that was at Rappahonnock
Station under Pope before
the Battle of Bull Run.
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The Shell and Shot
fell around us like
hale stones almost,
and Plow the Dirt
up, sometimes cover
us with dirt. We had
to Pass over the flat
of Table land you
Probably have read about
where the Rebes could
have a fare sweep for
a long distance. I see
two Men killed (or one 
killed and the other Wou-
-nded. I think both were
killed) near us in a
Reg. as we were passing
through it, it was a
terrible fire on this
Plain all day you better
Believe. John (Corp)
Fife of Nashua and
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myself put in a new
Pole to one of our Lim
-bers to one of our Guns
that was Shot off and
one Horse killed while
our Battery was halted
for one moment while
Passing over this Plain.
They had to leave the
Limber and take one
of the Limbers belonging
to one of the Caissons
which were left back
in the rear. We had
three Horses killed
while we halted in this
place, and only halted
for a moment. Two 
Shots only done, not 
likeing to lose the
Limber fife and myse
-lf went to the Caissons
and got a Spare Pole and
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11
we took it up to the Disabled
Limber and put it in,
it took us some 15 or 20
minutes to put it in
and I believe I never
was under severer Can
-nonading than I was
while we were puting
that Pole. The Shell
were Bursting all
around us and Sollid
Shot plowing up the
Dirt all about us, 
but through the Providence
of  we escaped with
-out a Scratch, it seemes
a miracle almost to see
how Soldiers escape
Death sometimes. One
Soldier belonging to
to a Reg. that was Supp
-orting us was hit, or 
his Knap Sack was by
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a cannon ball and the
things in it Scattered to
the four winds of Heaven
instanter. I saw what 
I took to be a pack of
Cards flying high
in the Air. I Could 
but help laughing a
little to see them fly.
I believe it did not 
hurt the fellow any
but probably Skeared
him some. Our Battery
at Dark as well as the
Infantry Drew Back
a little ways to contract
our lines for the night.
We fell back to the pla
-ce where our Limber was
disabled, while here the
Rebes fired Canestor
at us, but it was so far 
off the Canestor did no
other injury than to
bruse a few men a little.
They sounded like hale
Stones falling about as
it was qwite Dark at
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this time and the blaze
of the Rebel Cannons was
a Splended light or
fire Works. Finaly
we took up a position
close to the Road and
Sleped by the Side of
our Guns that Night.
This you will have 
in mind was Saturday
and we commenced
fighting Friday at Noon,
on each side of this
Road was am embankm
-ent thrown up by the
runers of the Farmes
through which the Road
ran, to answer the pur
-pos of a fence. (We find
many such in Va. there
not being stone to build
walls with. We took
position under one of
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these embankments
and Staid there all the
rest of the time We
were on the other side
of the River Sunday 
and Monday. There
was no firing by either
side during these two
day (with one exception
when one of our Batterys
fired a few rounds
to feel of the Rebes
a little but they did
not get a reply so they
Seaced firing) except
by the Pickets who
keped poping a way
except the Night we
left when there was
no fireing a all on either
side. The Pickets of each Armey met
that PM during a Flag 
of Truce to bury the Dead
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and agreed not to fire 
any more that day I 
see them meet, it was
done in front of our
Battery, not a Great ways
off, they exchanged
Coffee for Tobacco &c.
but I must draw to a close 
for if I dont run short
of something to say I
Shall of Paper, as you
already know we withdrew
across the River Monday
Night, and a most Skil
-ful manouver it was
too. We got across about
10 OClock PM or a little
later. We lost 15 horses
had 3 Men killed and
4 wounded and 8 brused,
but as I said, through the 
Providence of God I escaped
without a Scratch for
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which I fell to thank
his Holey Name. We are
now Camped in Sight of
the Potomac River and all
our Supplies come down
it, to us and within 3/4 of
a mile of our Camp and
Landed near the mouth of
Potomac Creek. I rec. that
Tribune to day for which
I am very much obliged to
you for. You could not
send me one that would
Please me so well. I have
rec. those Telegraphs you
sent me. I am very much
obliged to you for those
letter Stamps and a Quarter
of a Dollar all of which
I shall try and make
good use of. I think
that the Presidents Proclimac
-ion is just the thing and
just what is wanted, and
I would give you my reasons
if I had time and Space
to do so, but I must close. My
health is first Rate and
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Spirets good. I hope and trust as you
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say that the next time we meet the
enemy we shall meet with Success,
and I think we shall. give my love
to your Family. Write often and send
me a paper occasionly, and may God
bless you all is the earnest Prayer of
your Affectionate Brother
			T C Cheney