1862 August 10 near Cedar Mountain

Aug. 13^th 1862.

Culpepper

Dear Old Friend Harry

I have poor facilities for wri
ting, but must do the best I can. You will therefore
excuse this roughly gotten up thing. I was ever so
glad to hear from you and read your interesting let-
ter, moreover that you were successful in getting
the same old school to teach again. I hope your reputa
tion in this profession is now established. I want you
to keep me posted in school affairs, for although I am now
a military man, I still take great interest in education-
al subjects. I suppose you've heard of our battle. Our brigade
however was not engaged, still we performed some exploits
of which I must tell you. Banks whole corps [unclear: ] fought
them all Saturday afternoon, and were relieved by McDow

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ells corps in the evening after the infantry fighting was
over the rebels as usual poured in upon Banks in overpow
ering numbers, and why our (McDowell's) corps was
not ordered up in time I cannot tell. The rebels were
retreating however when Banks men were ordered to halt
because he had not men enough to follow up what other
wise would have proved a glorious victory. The papers
will give you the particulars better than I can state them here.
When we neared the battlefield late in the evening we
met lots of our own wounded returning to Culpepper, where,
our Chaplain told us the citizens treated them very kindly,
the women assisting in dressing their wounds. We had
been listening to the roar of artillery and could see the smoke
of the battle all P.M. of Saturday, from our camp 1 mile south
of [deleted: the battle][added: Culpepper], and when we saw the wounded, we felt like
taking revenge. When we came within a mile and a half


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of the battle ground, our brigade was halted; our regiment
received its mail here, and we fell to reading letters by can
dlelight; this drew the fire of a rebel battery, and some half
dozen solid shot fell right in among us, wounding four
men of our regiment. One ball fell about three yards from where
I stood, we stood this like heroes for a short time, then we
were ordered back a short distance, but advanced again
til we came within 300 yards of the same battery which was
firing upon us, and which with several others, had opened
out again with the purpose of ascertaining our position as
well as of the rest of the large number of McDowell's corps
which had silently advance under cover of the dark, but they
fired far above our heads, and we lay listening to the loud
and crashing roar of the dogs of war in perfect safety. present-
ly the battery belonging to our (Duryee's) brigade let loose upon
the one which fired into the 107^th and silenced it. This de-


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[added: railed] their whole programme, and we could hear them falling
back although in good order. Next morning we found two
dismounted guns, 9 dead horses, and two Lieuts. killed, one
having his head shot off. If we had not did this, they
would have continued to kill us, while their infantry would
have advanced, and perhaps have proved too strong
for us then, as our main force only came in the next day.
We have been watching the enemy ever since, yesterday
they commenced retreating on account of Burnside getting
in their rear, The reason we have not advanced upon them
since our whole army is here is because they occupied a strong
position on a high knoll. Abe got a letter from Pap which
says 9 men from Corrstown, including Bro. Harry have enlisted
in Reeds Co. Chambersburg. Bully for them. Its uncommonly
warm here now. Soldiers live on secesh roasting [unclear: cans]. Cant
get my picture taken now, No artist here.

Your friend,

Wm. H. Kindig

William H. Kindig,  107th Pennsylvania

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow Project]

MSS 11395