Headquarters 5th Prov. Army Corps,
Camp near New Bridge, June 19, 1862.
Dear Father, — . . . I do not have as much to do as I did before the two new aides came, but still General Porter gives me things to do. Yesterday he heard that the enemy had left the vicinity of New Bridge, and sent me down with an order to the battery there to fire 12 rounds at a work the enemy had erected in the woods opposite the bridge, and to see if they could not wake them (the enemy) up. We had erected a small earthwork there to protect our guns, and there I went. We fired about three rounds, when bang went one of their guns, and a shot flew whizzing over our heads. The officers told us to lie down in the trench, whenever we saw a gun fired, and kept a man on the watch, who called out “fire” when he saw a gun go off, and down we would all go. They fired splendidly at us, planting the shell in the battery and all around it. My horse was tied to a tree behind the battery, and I thought his chance of escaping was pretty small. I had to stay till the 12 shots were fired, to tell the general the result, and was glad when they were all fired. Our firing was indifferent. I waited till the enemy had fired two shots in succession, and then made a rush for my horse with a lieutenant from Weeden’s Battery whom I met there. It did not take us long to get out of range. The enemy were 1000 yards distant.
I had a narrower escape the other day than I thought for. The enemy’s infantry were near Mrs. Brockenborough’s house, and a body of their cavalry followed down soon after I went down that road, by Mrs. B.’s house. Then, too, I should have been shot by our own cavalry had they seen me in the woods, for they had orders to shoot any one they saw in the woods, no matter who he was. This was necessary as they were the outpost picket. I refer to the party I mistook for rebels.
Captain Mason is a very pleasant fellow, and I like him very much. He is always kind and polite to me.
I hope General McClellan will receive all the troops he wants. General McCall’s division has arrived, and is on this side of the river. It is under General Porter for the present. He and all his staff came near being captured by the rebel raid the other day.
General Franklin’s corps has passed over the river, and now we are the only corps on this side. . . .
All reports confirm the scarcity of food at Richmond. A darkey who came in this evening said that the rebels were conveying all their specie to Danville, N. C. They seem, however, afraid to trust it all in one place, and are pretty anxious about it.
Don’t place any confidence in newspaper reporters. They are all rascals.
