Headquarters First Brigade.
July 24, 1864,
10 P. M.
Dear Mother, —
I write, as I promised. I got back safely from the lines. Just before I went
there, a captain of the Fifty-sixth and two lieutenants of the Fifty-seventh
were badly wounded by a shell which fell and exploded where they were sitting.
Lieutenant Bowman of the Fifty-seventh cannot live.
This makes six officers of the Fifty-seventh who have been
killed or badly wounded since I have been here. It is too bad. The firing has
not ceased since I wrote you last, nor indeed since I first got within sound of
it. The bullets are singing around my tent as usual. Spat! there goes one into
the tree, making the bark fly. It is raining to-night, but it does not diminish
the ardor of these patriotic sportsmen, who keep up their target practice with
great zeal.
The weather has been very cool and pleasant.
I slept beautifully last night, and hope to to-night.
Love to all at home. No letters yet; two Advertisers
to-night, — 20th, 21st
Affectionately,
W. F. B.
Did I tell you I went over to see the Twentieth yesterday?
Saw Patten, John Perry, and Dr. Hayward. They are a mile and a half in rear of
us.
SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William
Francis Bartlett, p. 115-6
No comments:
Post a Comment