Camped 4 Miles South of Peters-
	burg Va, July 3d 1864

My Dear Brother			
	On this Day, the first
Anniverciary of the Great Battle
of Gettysburg I will Celebrate by
writing a few lines to you, a 
Much  Pleasanter occupation than 
I was engagued in one year ago to Day for on 
that eventful day we were fight-
ing all day long and at 1 OClock
PM the Rebes commenced their 
terriffic Cannonadding and
keped it up for two hours 
or More and then Longstreet 
Made his Grand Charge, and
a Grand one it was, but disas
-terous to the Rebes and decided
the Battle in our favour, how
vivid and plain that scene
came up before me to Day,
no such Battle has been fought
during this War. there was
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2
the heaviest Cannanadeing on
that 3d of July that, P.M. that
ever took place on this Continent,
many rough scenes. I have passed
through since the event that
day, 8 different Battles our
Battery has been engagned in
during this Campaign, and I
have been in all that our 
Battery has, since it left NH
and there has scarsely been a
Battle fought by the Armey of
the Potomac, (except during the
Pernincula Campaign) but our
Battery has taken Part in it,
even in their Skourmeshing
but enough about Self, our
Battery has been in position for
the last week where we are
now 4 Miles South of Petersburg
near the Weldon R Road, the 
Guns only go to the front, and
every Night they return to
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3
Camp aboaut 1 1/2 Miles to the rear
where the rest of the Battery
is, as we have but 4 Guns now
we have Spare Men. So yestar
-day the Spare Men went to the
front and left part of the
Guns Crew Stay  in Camp to
wash and Clean up their things
and Person. To day was my
turn, and as I done my washing
at the Front yestarday (pulling
my shirt off to wash and going
without one) I improve the time 
to day in writing to my Friends
and Relitives. To Morrow I suppo
-se the whole Battery will be
relieved and be allowed to
Stay in Camp till some new
move is made, which I do not
look for on this part of the
Field for the Presant, though
there may be at any time, as you
can get account of the Situation
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4
of things here and what is going
on much better and quicker
than I can give them to you. I
will not attempt it, in fact I
hardly know myself what is
being done, the is nothing doing 
in our front, in front of the
2nd Corps, not even as much
as Picket fireing, but up aro
-und the City of Petersburg there
is almost continual fireing, and
Occasionaly it is very heavey,
what it is for or what is being 
done there I have to get from 
the Papers the same as you do. 
I rec. your kind letter of the
25th, yestarday and was happy to
hear from you. I am happy to hear 
that you are getting such good pay
I suppose it is not much better than one
Dollar was two years a go, but it is
better than us though your Pay had not
been raised any. I want to get one
of these high Priced Jobs when I
get home, which I trust will be in
just two Months and 24 days more, 
if the Lord will. Then Hellen is courted
hard is she, well they will do so.I
am very glad to hear that he is such
a nice young Man, of course he is
a true Union Man, in for Old Abe
for our next President, as you say, we
are nierer Petersburg than Richmond
but we are having to have both places,
but it will take time and you must
have patience, my health is good and am in 
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1X
good Spirets. Last Night we rec. Rations of Tomatoes in
Cans, Pickled Onions and Tobacco, the first we ever
got on the Armey. They were given us by the Sanitary
Commissian. didn't I have a good Meal of Tomatoes,
You better believe I did my Tobacco I swapped for
Tomatoes. Write me again Soon. I hear that the 
1st N H Cavelry was nearly taken Prisoners this week
in Gen. Willsons last Raid so if Laura does not hear
from Orilan for some time She must not worry
about him. give my love to your Family an Hellen
Brother
		T C Cheney