1862 May 22 Camp Flat Top Mountain

May 22d/62
Camp Flat Top Mountain

Dear Father
I wrote to you from
camp at East River a week
ago yesterday in that
letter I told you of our
fight at Giles CH and
our retreat.  I told you
that the Enemy had
followed us up to that
point and that we were
daily skirmishing with
them.  we were there
reinforced by the 30 &
12 Regiments (they with our
Regiment forming the 1st Brigade)
The 2d Brigade, also came up
together with a batallion
of Cavalry and 2 batteries
consisting in all of 11 pieces
We were now prepared to
meet the Enemy that was

[page 2]
following us up
but other disasters awaited
us.   When the reinforcements
came up to us they had
left only 3 or 4 companies
at Princeton to guard it
their nearest aid was
11 miles distant
On Friday evening last
Humphrey Marshall with a
force said to be 4 or 5000
strong and after a short
fight drove our men
back and took possession
of Princeton We were now
thrown into a bad
position with a large
force following us and
another large force
cutting off  our retreat
On Saturday morning 9[?]
companies of our men had
atacked Marshal and drove

[page 3]
them back from
Princeton a short
distance, the same morning
we left our camp at
East River leaveing all
our Tents on the ground
(Most of our wagons
being back to Raleigh
for provisions) and marched
back to Princeton where
we arrived the same
evening where we
bivouacked in an open
field for the night
expecting that we
would certainly have
a fight in the morning
Morning came but the
Enemy had flown
and we retreated on
back to Camp Creek a dista
nce of 9 miles remained there over night then

[page 4]
came on 14 miles further
to this place
We are now on the Summit
of Flat Top Mountain
We arrived here Monday
Monday evening will
probably remain here some
days.  We have not heard
from the Enemy and I
think they will hardly
follow us.
Our loss at Princeton was
5 men killed & 20 wounded
taken prisoner & missing
they took 1 Capt and 2 Lieuts
prisoner
All seem to think that
we have made a most
timely retreat  there is
no doubt that the Enemy
have accumulated a large
force in this region
Three Companies of our Regiment

[page 5]
(with Carpenters &
Sailors have been
sent down to the River
to build ferry boats
with which to cross
into Monroe County
I have no idea however what
our future movement will
be.  Within the past few
days we have experienced
all the realities of a soldiers
life; from plenty at Giles CH
we were forced to leave
everything all our cooking
utensils &c and from the
time we left Giles until
we arrived at Princeton
last week we had only
2 Hard Crackers 6 others
were spoiled
For three days we marched
without Breakfast & only

[page 6]
a few small pieces of
crackers in our Haversacks
We have plenty now
however
All our cooking utensils
we have our tin cups but
no plates knives or forks
We have not tents nor do I
think we will get any
soon.  We are now encamped
in a wood by the side of
a pretty spring--live in
booths covered with bark
limbs leaves rails &c
From what I can hear
our brigade will cross
the New River probably in
a very few days
 I have not heard from you
since Alix came back & this is the
5th letter I have written you since that time
What are you all doing?  Yours truly
J.D. Templeton

[upside down in top margin of page 1]
P.S.  How does Tom do is he there
yet  Order him & Eli to write to me

James Dinsmore Templeton,  musician and private in the 23rd Ohio


MSS 10317