Camped at Mechanicsville Md Sept 10th 1862

Dear Sister
I rec. your kind letter of Aug 7th
Sept 4 while Camped at Uptons Hall. We left
Fredericksburg Aug. 9th and have been on the
March most of the time ever since. That is
the reason I did not get your letter before.
We have also been in 5 or 6 different Battles,
Skourmishes and fights dureing this time, but
through the Blessings of kind Providence I
have passed through them all this far without
so much as a Scratch for which I feel Very
thankful to my God.    Friday 12th Camped 
at Lisbond Md; befor I had time to finish
this letter we were ordered to March
and arived here last Night, and will
now try and finish this, but may have
to put it up to March again before
I can finish it. Thus is it with the 
Soldier. There is no time he can Call
his owne, so you must not be Supprised
if you do not get letters from Charles
as qwick and as regular as you will expect
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or hope to get them. The Battles that
took place at and near Bull Run on a Thursday
Friday and Saturday of Aug 28th 29th 30th we
we in but took part only on Friday just
at Sun down. We lost on that occasion 10
Men besides our Capt. These are all Missing 
we have since learned that our Capt. was
taken prisoner. Then we had four Men
wounded besides, one Slightly, one of the 
wounded was our third Lieut. John Wadleigh.
The other two days we were mear Spectators
but were presant on the field ready to
be sent where ever they wanted us.
Saturday was fought the Great Battle
and a Great one it was to. I will not
attempt to discribe it for you can
get a better discription of them all in
the Papers. -- We are off again --
Sept 20th Saturday AM in Camp on the
Battle Field near Sharpsburg Md. again I
will try and finish this letter as you
will be in M. and will have a chance 
to see Rachels letters, I will not try to tell
you of our retreat from bull Run Field,
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suffise it to say that we finaly fell back
on to the Fortifycations around Washington.
We Stoped there a few days and then Marched
over in to Md in persuit of the Rebeles who
had crossed over in to this State. We passed through
Washington at Midnight, and passed through
several little villages, which looked more
like N E. than any that I have ever seen in
Va. We also passed through Fredericktown a
place of 9,000 Inhabitance and a very pretty
place, it is a lovely Country around it, it
sets in a Valley and looks splended when
you get up on the hills around it and look 
down on to it. We stoped one Night near it,
but I must hasten, our forces fought the
Enemy on the hights this side of Frederick
town called in the Battle on Haggerstown
Hights in the Papers, it was a hard fought
Battle and the Enemy were driven of the
Ground, our Battery took no part in the fight
though we were in sight of it. The next
day we Marched in persuit of the Enemy
as far as Boonsboro, a distance of some 5 miles
and went in to Camp for the Night just
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beyond that Town, next day Tuesday we moved
a little father to a place called Readersville and 
here came up with the Enemy. Cannonadeing was
keped up on both sides through the day. The
Infantry got at it a little about Dark, our Battery
with one or two others were ordered up to Support
them. The Enemy Shelled us a little as we advanced
but done us no harm, it being qwite at this
time, we halted near the Woods (where the fireing
by the Infantry) for the night, rolled ourselfs
up in our Blankits and laid down by the side
of our Guns and Caissons on the Ground to Sleep for the
Night. I had a very good knap. The next
morning at just 6 OClock our Battery was ordered forward
about a 100, yds in to Battery, that is to get in
to posicion to fire. We had but just got
in to Battery when the Rebeles opned on us with
one of their Batterys. We soon replied with
earnest, and we were the first ones to commence
the Battle on our side this day, Wednesday. Soon
two other Batterys of ours came to our assis
-tance and after one or one and half hours
Smart firein we Silanced the Rebes Battery.
We stoped in this posicion till 10 OClock AM
dureing this time the Infantry had been having
a fierce Struggle on our left just through
a piece of woods at 10 we were ordered on to
this field at one place where we crossed the field
the Dead and Wounded mostly Rebeles laid so thick that we
had to move them to get along so as not run
over them. I shall not attempt to tell or write you
the Scene I beheld on the Battle Field last
Wednesday and yestarday (Friday) as we passed throu
-gh it, it is to much to write. Suffise to say we
moved on and came in to Battery by the side
of a N J Battery who were being badly handled
by a Rebel Battery. in 1/2 hours time we Silanced
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this Rebel Battery also, after this being nearly out
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of Amunition we withdrew from this part of the field
on to a hill near where we fought in the morning. We
filled up with what Amunition we had in our Waggons and
placed our Guns in Battery about 5 OClock PM. the Rebes
opned on us or some Amunition Waggons in our rear with
their Batterys. There happned to be 4 of our Batterys (ours
included) placed along near together. We all opned on them
so that it was as dumb as a Dead Dog. it was the Smartest
Cannonading I ever heard. This ended the fighting for the
day we laid by the side of our Pieces all Night, and Stoped
in the same posicion the next day and Night. Yestarday
we marched here through the Battle field, a distance
of 2 or 3 Miles and Stoped till most Night then unhitched
this morning at 3 1/2 OClock we were woke up and ordered to har
-ness to march. We done so, waited till about 8 OClock AM. then
were ordered to unhitch again so here we are and through
the Blessings of God my life is yet Spared; not rec. so
much  as a scratch. We had only two men wounded in
the Battle of Wednesday and those only flesh wounds. I
wrote to Rachel that I believed we had 3 wounded. Tell her
that there were only 2. You must let her see this letter. I
wrote to her Thursday and sent it to the office by a Citizen.
Tell her that Orin Tabor wants her Rachel to to tell Lavona (who
boards at Mrs Glineses) that he is well also Frank, and have Lavona 
Tell McNab the same. my health is first rate, and
am in good Spirets and full of
hope. Rachel tells me
you are a going
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to tend Shop for Putney, so it will be handy for you
to hear from me it will be handy for you both. i am in 
hopes I shall Charles out here. I have not heard yet which
Regiment he Inlisted in. I have seen a nomber of men belong
-ing to the 9th Reg. I must close give my love to all
especily to my loved Family.  bless them. I trust we
all shall meet on Earth again soon. With much love I
remain your brother
		T C Cheney