Monday, June 2, 2014

Near Tottopotamoy Creek, Va.,
(11 miles from Richmond) June 2, 1864

Dear Father, — We are stationed here about four or five miles from Mechanicsville, and about 11 from Richmond. We are bivouacking, and may move at any moment. We have had skirmishing almost every day, in which this regiment has lost some men. Yesterday evening the enemy opened a heavy fire on us, advancing a very heavy line of skirmishers on to the front of our corps, and also on the Fifth Corps. It was more of a reconnoissance on their part than a general attack. They were driven back along the whole line.

Our men are pretty well used up by this campaign. Officers as well as men need rest, and I hope we shall get it before long. A great many of the men are without shoes, and most all of them are in rags. We have communication open with White House now, and I hope that we shall soon have all such deficiencies supplied.

We shall have some pretty hard fighting before we get Richmond. We are gradually working our way to the left towards James River, where I imagine we shall open communication with Butler.

I never knew before what campaigning was. I think, though, that all this army have a pretty fair idea of it now. We have had to march all day and all night, ford rivers, bivouac without blankets or any covering during rain and sunshine, and a good part of the time have been half starved. I know that no one staying at home can have any idea of what this army has been through. Any one who gets through safely may consider himself lucky.

We have lost 300 men in killed, wounded and missing since the beginning of the campaign. The missing amount to about 30 or 40 men, many of them killed and wounded. I have but 250 men for duty now, —rather a contrast to the size of the regiment when we left Readville.

Do you know whether I am to be commissioned as colonel of the regiment or not? No other person, were he commissioned, could take the place, as there are not enough men for him to be mustered. If I am commissioned as colonel and my commission dates the 6th or 7th of May, I can probably be mustered back to that date, as I have been acting as colonel since then. I had over a minimum regiment on the 7th of May.

I think there is no doubt about our getting Richmond. It will undoubtedly be hard work, but we expect that.

I have not heard from home for a long time. I suppose you have seen Major Jarves. He behaved splendidly.

Give my love to all the family.

Thursday, June 2. — We were under marching orders, and about 3 P.M. moved to our rear. The whole corps marched ahead of us, leaving us as rear-guard. We had not gone far before the rebels attacked us. The whole thing was miserably managed. We checked the enemy, however. Our regiment was in the third line, being in front of Captain Thomas’s battery. While there we lost about six men, and Lieutenant Mitchell, wounded by our own shell. We were moved afterwards to the right, occupying some temporary rifle-pits. Had a heavy thundershower during the afternoon, just before the enemy attacked. Captain Cowdin, F. O. D., was wounded while falling back. During night, rainy. Dug some strong rifle-pits.

[Our position this day was a most disagreeable one. We were supporting a battery and in front of it, they firing over our heads and we lying down on the ground. The battery was on slightly rising ground, but the shells stripped as they were fired from the guns, and as the firing was unusually bad, it was most destructive to our regiment, as the strips of the shells and shot flew around us right and left. It was bad enough to be killed by the rebels, but to have our own men shoot us was worse. Captain Cowdin never turned up. He was probably killed. The last seen of him he was getting over a wall. He was a good officer and did his duty well, and we were very sorry to lose him.]