1861 December 14 Camp Allegheny

My dear mother

You will have heard before this
reaches you, of the battle here yesterday and
will be uneasy enough--Providence has once more
protected me, tho' it required almost a miracle
to do so--For two hours not a moment passed
that I did not hear the whiz of minnie balls--
the "long roll" aroused us all about 3 oclock-
for 3 ours we stood in the road, and about
half an hour before sun-rise the enemy was
upon us--our battallion had to charge up a very
steep hill which had been blockaded by
cutting down the trees, & when we reached the top,
out of breath, we were fired upon by our own
men (31st Regt) and about an hour later by the
12th Ga--but we rallied, and then it became
almost a hand-to-hand fight.--once we were
under a cross fire from three different directions.
We made three charges, and about 8 oclock put the
Yankees to flight. For a long time 300 of us had
to contend with from 1500 to 2000--The scene of
this part of the action was a few hundred yards from
our camp, just above it,and one tent is riddled--The
Yankees tried to flank us on both sides at once, and

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as soon as they were driven from one side, we
were placed in the trenches to fight them on the other
but they did not attack on the side where we
were, but on the opposite side of the hill--so
I had only to sit still and listen to the balls as they
passed over our heads--we remained in the trenches
the rest of the day and all last night, and I am
too much worn out to write--only wanted to let you
know that I am safe--The slaughter on both sides
was awful--dead men are lying all over the hill above
us--my own company l9ost one killed and one wounded--
the Yankees were so badly whipped yesterday that I don't
think they will try it ever again--we have been strongly
reinforced since the fight ended--It was entirely an
infantry fight--so close that the artillery could not
be used with much effect--but we lost two of our
best artillerists--Capt Anderson (Do remember him)
was killed, and Capt Deshen badly wounded--I will
write in a day or two--as soon as we get over the
excitement-your affect son
Charley
P.S. we have received orders to march to Staunton
as soon as transportation can be had--ordered to
be ready for "field service in another line"--
Yesterdays proceedings will delay our movements
and may prevent our going entirely--Don't know
where we are going--
C.D.M.

Charles D. McCoy, 1st Sergt, 25th Virginia Infantry
MSS 6830-d