1861 August 2 Washington, D. C.

Dear parents and friends

I direct my
letters from here becaus I can get them
more direct. I recieved a billet from you
in Samuel's letter and was very glad to
hear from you. We are about entirely recov
ered from our hard battle and forced march
that we lately passed throug[h] we had
the largest company of the regt in
the battle numbering 60 muskets we
were counted on the field we lost six
men and have not yet heard from but
one of them who is dead as I stated to
you in my last letter but I do not
know as you have received it a[s]
I have heard that the government
stops some of the mail. Some of our
regt. got dissatisfied with our treatment
and wrote to the governor of Me about it

[page 2]
and he come out here to see what
the trouble was and he told some of
the men that we should be in Me.
again in three months from the time
we started out and he would call us
sooner unless we were used better
I have had no reason to complain yet
and I shall not be satisfied to return
untill we have drove the rebels from
bulls run and Manassas Junction and gap
I want the privilege of seeing the
rebels run double quick out of these
above named places. Our outposts had
a little battle last evening the rebels
wer routed and retreeted in disorder
I have not yet heard the particulars
you said in you billet that
Walter thought we would shoot
them tell him that I am cirtain
two of their cavelry fell by a ball
directed from my gun as we were
retreeting they charged upon us

[page 3]
with a company of about 100 men
and more than half of them lay dead
before they could retire besides the
wounded. we fired three regular
rounds before the order to retreet and
some fired a good many times irreg
ulary we were on the field three hours
I have seen some papers that have lied
about us I would like to hear the
truth in the papers if they do not
tell the truth they better not say
any thing. There is about fifty or
seventy five at most missing from
this reg't in killed wounded and
prisoners we came out much better
than I expected we have but a
few in this company but what are
fit for duty and ready to meet the
rebels at bulls run or any other
place.
I have not written to
Uncle Peter's folkes I wish you would
write and tell them all the news

[page 4]
for all the time I can get to
write I want to write home. Tell
the boys and men to do their
duty at home and we will try to
do ours out here I have nothing
more to write this time If you could send a Tribune
paper out here I should like to get it Yours in haste

Hiram M. Cash

Israel Washburn, Jr., 1831-1883, governor of Maine in 1861

Private, Co. K, Fifth Maine Infantry

MSS 12916