1862 July 24 near Gordonsville, Va.

                                       July 24th
                   Near Gordonsville
Dear Nell
                      It has been a long
time since I have written to any
of you. I did write to you once and
gave the letter to one of the Hurrican
Rifles to give to Mr Loeb who had
been up here and was going home,
but I was too late and about a
week after the letter was handed back
to me in a very dilapidated condition
so I had to bear it up.  A few days
after the battle around Richmond
commenced and I had no more time
to think of writing  until they were
over.  On account of my wound I could
not get in a very convenient position
for writing so I sent a message in a
letter which Ned Burruss wrote home
I suppose you will wonder  how I
got out here.   Sam and I not wanting
to go to a hospital and finding
Richmond too expensive applied
to Mr Haxall with whom Sam
and Ned Burruss were acquainted

[page 2]
to know whether he could recommend
any place to us.  He was very kind,
said that he would invite us to his
farm which is in the neighborhood
but that his family was so large that
he could not accomodate us and
wrote to Dr. Jones the proprietor of
this place to know if he would receive
us. The answer being in the affirmative
we came out here as speedily as possible
and are now very pleasantly situated.
The family are as kind and attentive
as possible.  My wound is getting on
finely.  I can hobble about a little on
crutches and will be ready for service
again in two or three weeks. Sams
wound is getting  improving more slowly.  It was
a more severe wound than mine and
he was not in a good state of health
at the time.  Our regiment was en-
gaged in only two of the fights around
Richmond in the last of which Sam
and [I] received our wounds Our
company lost five killed and some
fifteen I think wounded.  Lieut Smith


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and his brother both of them splendid
fellows were killed none of the rrest
were particular friends of mine
We had an alarm here about ten
days ago about the Yankees.  They were
at Orange Court House about twelve
miles above here and were reported
to be advancing.  We had no troops
about here at the time except a few
cavalry. The people in the neighbor
hood took the alarm and were driving
sending off their negroes and stock
to more secure places. It proved to be
however only a marauding party of
cavalry and they did not come any
farther.  Since that time Jackson
has come up with his army and
is encamped in the neighborhood
We had a visit this morning from
Billy Ogden and Clarence Percy. Their
regiment is about a mile and a half
from here and hearing of their prox
imity I sent a note to Billy and
he came down to see us.  He was very
much surprised to find us here


[page 4]
He is in fine health and has been
through all the fights in the valley
under Jackson and those around
Richmond without a scratch.  Do
you know where Uncle Ogdens
family are  did they leave New
Orleans when the Yanks captured
it or are they still there.  Billy did
not know anything about them.  He
rote me that Ab was captured at
Port Jackson, was paroled, and then
got married to the sister of his
former wife.  Tip, Fred and Edward
were at Vicksburg when las[t] heard
from.  I hope you were not uneasy
about me.  I would have let you know
my condition after the battle sooner
but I was at the hospital where
I was first carried for two days
before I could get word to anybody
and then Dr Hall was about telegraphing
a list of casualties and I thought
that would do.  Give much love to
Mother and Nettie and to the servants
Your affectionate brother
Horatio N. Smith



Horatio Smith, Co. D. 21st Mississippi to his sister of "Elmsley," near Woodville, Miss.

MSS 3772