Camped on Sharpsburg Battle Field Sept 26th 1862 My Dear Brother I will improve the opertunity that I now have in writing a few lines to you in answer to yours of the 15th inst. which I rec. the 20th, and also to let you know that through the Blessings ofI have passed through a nother Battle unharmed, for which I feel very thankful to my Heavenly Father. I will not attempt to give you an account of the Battle of last week a Wednesday, for you will a much better account of it in the Papers than I can give. it was a hard fought Battle. The Rebels fought Desperate, and they Suffered terrbly for it. They were _______________________________ 2 piled in heeps as it were, one place where we went over the Field to take a new posi -cion, we had to move the Dead and wounded mostly Rebeles so we could get along without runing over them. at a nother place I saw a long winrow of Rebels that lay along in a Straight line as they were killed where they were cut down by Canister from one of our Batterys as they advanced on it, (they were driven of) it was a hard looking Sight the worst I have yet seen, our Battery took an active part through the whole fig -ht, on the day. we opned the Battle on our side at 6 OClock in the Morning, and we with 3 other Batterys closed the fight (except some Skourmishi ___________________________________ 3 -ng by the Picketts) at Night about 5 OClock, although we took a very active part in the Battle, Through the Providence of our Battery Escaped with the loss of only 3 horses and one Man Wounded and one Brused a little. The wounde one has only a flesh wound in the Arm, in the Morning we were ordered forward in to Battery, (that is a fighting posic -ion) about a hundred rods from where we had halted the Night before. w had not more than got in to Posicion when a Rebel Battery opned on us. We soon replied to them however with earnest, pileing Shell and Sphericall Case Shot among them fast. soon one or two more of our Batterys opned on them and one hour or a little more __________________________________ 4 we Silanced the Rebes. We fired a little longer than ceased fireing. we Stoped in this Posicion till 10 OClock AM and were ordered to a new Posicion on the Field where the Infantry had been having a hard Strugle, going to this posicion was where we had to move the Dead and Wounded just as we were entering a Cornfield, we went in to Battery by the Side of a R I Battery who were being Roughly hand -led by a Rebel Battery, in about 20 or 25 minutes after we opned the Rebes, we Silanced their Battery. We then moved to a nother Posicion and opned on a Rebel Battery, but our Guns being only 12 Pdr howit -zers and ranged for only 1070 yds, we could not reach them. They had Rifled Guns, and could reach us, but they done us no damage. we fired a few rounds of Spherical Case in to a Neighbouring Corn field, where we supposed likely and were very confident were a lot of Infantry (Rebeles) and then withdrew to a posicion on a knowl near a barn and near to the place where we fired in the Morning. We withdrew because _________________________________ 5 we were nearly out of Ammunit -ion, here we filled up from our Waggons with what they had and then got us some Dinner being rather late for it however. we stoped in this posicion till 5 OClock PM, when a Rebel Battery opned on some Ammunition Waggons exactly in our Rear that were there to offer Ammunition to the Infantry. We unlimbered (being Limbered up at the time) in qwick time and opned on them (the Rebes) you better believe. there were 3 other Batterys along in a line with us at the time. they all opned on the Rebel Battery too, and in less than 15 Minutes we Silanced them completely. this ended most of the figh -ting for the day. we keped ___________________________________ 6 ready for them however all Night long and the Next day and Night, but we heard nothing from them. They had fled and are now are across the Potomac, probably never more to return. This McCll -ellan with nearly the Same (and but little more as far as I can learn) that Pope had at Bull Run, has gained two Splendid Victorys in Md., the first at South Mt near Mid- dleton (in which we were not engaged but could see some of it) and the Great Battle of last week a Wednesday at or near Sharpsburg. The Soldiers went in to the fights on those two occasions having confidence in their Commanders, knowing they could trust them, at Bull Run they did not feel so, at least such was the _______________________________ 7 case with McDowell, who Com -manded the Armey Corps we belong to, since we got back to Uptons Hill, he has been removed and Old fighting Hooker put in his place. we were highly pleased with the change, he was everywhere on the Battle Field last Wednesday. We are sory he is wounded. There are many pretty pla -ces in Md Fredericktown or City, is a very pretty place of some 9,000 Inhabitance. it Sits in a wide Valley, which is a Splended one and rich Soil, most of the Inhabitace where we passed are good Union People and Cheered us as we Marched by and give us Water to Drink, The Star Spangled Banner was displayed in many places, it looke and Sounded Odd to ___________________________________ 8 us to see the good Old Flag waveing from the Dwellings of the Inhabitance and hear the ocupants of those Dwellings Cheer us and offer us water as we Marched by. I say it looked odd to us who had just come from a State, where there was nothing but Sower looks an ill treatment, not so much as a Drink of Water offe -red to us. bless the good People of Md. it looks now as though this Rebelion would soon be crushed out-- litle Mac is at the head of the Armey in the Field now we are willing to trust to him. I see that N H has four -nished or soon will do so her qwota of Troops without Drafting this makes me feel Proude of my native State. She has already fournished some of the Best Troops sent out here. We have exchanged four of our Howit -zers, for Rifled Guns, and Shall the other two as soon as we can get them. I thank you for those letter Stamps, they are worth more than money to me, if any thing, we can get them handyer in Md. tho than we could in Va. when we have the money. my health Excellent and Spirets ________________________________________ 5X good. how soon we Shall follow the Rebes in to Va. I can not tell, but hope soon if it will end the war sooner. Give my love to Laura and Family, tell them to write I am glad to hear that you have persuaded Orison not to Inlist it is no place for him in the Armey. Let him remain contented where he is. With much love to Emily and yourse -lf I close, Praying that God may bless you abundantly. your Affectionate Brother T C Cheney