1862 April 5 Manassas Junction

[Letter of Hiram Cash ,of the 5th Maine, begun on the 5th, continues]

April 6th. It took four trains of cars to
carry us all our Regt was in next to the last train all but two companies
H and F went in the last train after we got

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about two miles they took on about half of another Regt. which filled the
cars on the way we got stuck as we called it the engine could not haul us and Gen
Slocum wanted us to get out and push so a good many of us got out and pushed
and the engine done what it could and we made it go it was up grade and it went
hard we got out three times to push it along. It is about 26 miles from here
to Alexandria we expect to go about 15 or 20 miles further on the Richmond road,
and there we are going to stop and keep the rebels away if we can. I have
been to bulls run battle field to day where we went the 21st of last July, it
looked very natural it is a sad looking place now I went to the very
place where we commenced the battle and then went over all the ground
that we went over before we could not see any forts if they had any they
were destroyed I think the rebels did not have any earth works at all
they had heavy artillery but it was not stationary, they could moove it
where they pleased, I saw a great many camps that belonged to the rebels and a
large number of graves in one place there was 194 graves of rebel soldiers
we saw where the cannon balls cut off the tops of trees some of them are
half a foot through if not more we found some poor fellows that were
never burried and some that was burried had been washed out by the
rain so we could see their bones and clothes they could tell by the buttons
what State they belonged to I cannot write any more about it it (it at?) this time
we have got orders to march to Warrington tomorrow. I recieved your last letter
tonight April 1st was the date I was glad to hear the news I shall try to write
some every day as you spoke of I was glad to hear Cyrus had I hope to hear from him soon try to cheer Walter up as well as you can for I expect he is lonesome sometimes I have
no more time to write and I am quite tired after my long tramp today.
From your son Hiram M. Cash.

[in top margin of page]
Direct all letters the same as
usual and they
will come direct.