June 7.—Our brave army is still struggling to maintain her ground, against great odds. We have had some fearful battles. One was fought at New Hope Church, where the gallant Cleiburne and Stewart drove the enemy back with great loss to them. I have been told by men who were there that the dead of the enemy lay in heaps.
I have just received a letter from one of my old patients, a chaplain, dated June 1, from Southside, Virginia. He is in a Tennessee regiment, in Longstreet’s corps. He has been in all the late battles, and he says they were appalling. The Tennesseans lost heavily. General Johnston’s brigade lost three lieutenant-colonels, and many other officers and men. General Beauregard was in command. We drove the enemy back from every point. Will they ever see that we are in earnest, and let us alone?
My friend says his father is a prisoner in Tennessee.
