1861 July 18 Washington D. C.

Co. H. fifth Regt M[aine]V[olunteer] M[ilitia]

Dear parents and friends

I received your
letter with a beauquet in it in due
time and was very glad to hear
from you and also glad to hear that
you was all well and getting along
well. When I wrote to you last I
believe I told you we were preparing to
march. we took up our line of march
the next day with three days provisions
the first day we marched till 10 o clock
at night we were intending to cast off
the retreet from fairfacts court house
with 13,000 troops we stoped the rest
of the night and slept on the ground
In the morning we started before sun-
rise to march when got to the place
we were about 3 hours to late to stop
the rebels. they have retreeted before

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us as fast as our troops come in sight
we have taken a few prisoners that
the rebels left on picket guard
they fell trees across the road to stop
us but we were not delayed much
on account of it. We have now comple-
ted our three days journey and have
arrived within 5 miles of Manassas
Junction. We had a sad accident
happen on our journey there was one
man shot himself in our regt about
noon the 2end day and one towards night
one of them was from Co. H. His name
is William McSellen from casco
you all know him he went to knock
an apple off from a tree with the
but end of his gun and it caught
in the limbs and went off taken
effect in the left thy [thigh?] and broke the
bone all to pieces and he lived about
3 hours and died, and was buried the
next day under arms they fired three
volleys over the grave the other man

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was from Lewiston I do not know
his name he was shot thorugh the
side and died in a moment I did not
see him buried. We all seem to be
enjoying good health better than we
did at Washington. Genl. Scott said
yesterday that he thought we should
be on our way home in 8 weeks if
not before we have not had a chance
to fight the rebels on [?]division yet
but the right has had a little fighting
to do the[y] have gained every battle bout
one the[y] engaged the rebels at Manassas
junction with only 3 regts and got
badly whipt Scott has arrested the
commander because he went contrary
to orders in making the attack Scott
says we can take the place without
the loss of a man if we are carefill
and obey him. the weather here is
comfortable not to hot nor to cold in
the day time but we have cold nights
we have about 100,000 troops here

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and more are coming on the way here
they have proclaimed strict law in
the army and we have to go straight

no more to write
at present

Hiram M. Cash

Mrs. Mary H. Cash
East Raymond,
Maine

MSS 12916