Sunday, August 14, 2011

1861 August 14 Washington, D. C.

Dear parents and friends

I suppose by this time you would like to hear from the boys of the fifth Regt.

I will tell you the reason I have not written before we have been very buisy mooving about since I wrote last we have moved 3 times and we was at one time under orders to march at a minutes worning 3 days before we mooved we mooved on day into a good place and the next day the artilary got into postion so that we were directly in their way in case of an attack and we had to get out of the way we have been bothered in this way two or three weeks but now we have got settled down in a compleet place the best we have had since we came out here

A few days ago our company was sent out on picket we spent the forenoon very well and the Lieuts. stationed their men where they wanted them arround Springfield Station where there is a Rail road bridge that has once been burned and rebuilt
again by our men there was about 12 of us arround the bridge the rest ware all arround within one mile of us Lieut Spiller was with us Bucknam was about a mile off with the 2nd platton Spiller was with the 1st it was quite warm and we felt dozey and layed down arround and on the bridge Spiller had gone about half a mile where four men were stationed on a hill he stoped a while and fell asleep while he slept there was a body of cavelry waching them with a spy glass one man that was with Siller happened to see them and told Spiller and he took a notion to come down to the bridge just as soon as he started the cavelry fell into line and attemped to stop them one of our men at the bridge was watching their movements and when he saw them coming he called to the rest of us and we fell into line in a moment and discharged 3 guns a signal for the men to come in at this moment the cavelry thought it best not to come in range of our muskets and S[iller with his four men reached the bridge in safety by this time we had thirty men on the bridge which was force enough to stand 100 cavelry and the commander of the cavelry had to who a white flag and come to the bridge with four men and when they got there we found they were our own men. I tell you we had a good time about it for a little while.

I think you wanted to know what I lost in the battle I lost my knapsack it was in the quarter masters charge I had 2 shirts 2 pr. drawers 2 pare stockings all of my towells handkerchiefs and trinkets except my needle book which was in my coat pocket I have now one coat one shirt one pare stockens 1 pare shoes two pares pants 2 blankets also my gun and equipments I still have possession off and intend to keep them as long as I have strength to do so.

We do not have much news concerning the war or anything else we had a good time the last time we mooved there has been some heavy rain here lately and the brooks are very high they do not pretend to have any bridges and we has to wade through them on our way here in some places it was almost deep enough to carry us down streem we are expedting to have a new sett of clothing every day and I shall be glad when it gets along we have very cold nights here we have not seen but a few hot days since we come out here I think it is a very healthy country here but quite a number of our men is sick J. Keen is very sick James Sone of Casco has got the measles and there is one or two got the mumps. I think it is a doub if Keen ever gets well he is going to have his discharge he does not keep his head all the time but he looks as though he could not live the rest of the boys are enjoying good health.

I suppose you heard that our sergon Dr. Buxton was taken prisoner by the rebels at the battle of bulls un he has to day returned to our company parole of honer he says our wounded are treated well and have good care taken of them he says the rebels were fairely whiped and that they would have surrendered three hours before our retreet if the demand had been made he says their loss is very heavy but he does not know the number about all the prisoners they have got our wounded our killed amount about 4 or 5 hundred with 7 or 8 hundred wounded makes up our loss he says the rebels were retreeting in large numbers when a panic made its weay into our ranks and both armyes ran away from each other if it had not been so their army could have cut us all to peices as we were retreeting so in disorder.

We have just received orders to march again we have been here about 24 hours after we get to our destination I will finish

[Hiram Cash will continue this letter on the next day, August 15]

Private, Co. K, 5th Maine
MSS 12916

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