1862 August 13 Camp Magruder

  [letter in pencil on poor paper; frequently illegible in spots]

  Camp Magruder  August 13th 1862
Dear Sister
                      I take my pencil in hand
to write you a few lines to let you know
that I am well and without a scratch
in the recent engagement.  We are all pretty
well starved as we have been dining on
crackers for a week the fight  we have just
gone through with was a very hard one
so hot and dry that the men nearly
perished we lost two killed Philip Bowers
and George Baylor James Bolen is mortaly wounded
the doctor says John [Gabhert?] Frank Carroll
Jim Brubeck & Billy Thompson are wounded
Our Company lost the third of what was
lost in the regiment there was only 3
killed & 17 wounded  Our whole loss is

[page 2]
estimated at 100 killed the Yankees loss is
supposed to be 1600 killed & wounded & a
great many taken prisoners.  Our Brigade took
four or five  hundred prisoners we were [?]
--all among them one man would take 4 or 5
prisoners  himself.  There was one small boy
in our regiment who ordered a yankee to
surrender and he would not do it he
snapped his gun at the yankee and when
he found it would not go off the threw
the gun down and grasped the many by
his belt and he soon gave out and
surrendered one yankee struck Stuart Brown
with his bayonet the lick was pretty well
aimed for it struck him in the Breast
and hit a rib which glanced the
Bayonet and saved Browns life.

[page 3]
It was a hard sight to walk over the
battle field and see the dead & wounded
& hear them cry for water John Wright
got back yesterday but he did not see
anything of Sam Beard.  We drew our money
to day it is about 70$ I would like to
send my money  home if a good chance
would offer William Wright is here but
he expects to go by Richmond when he
goes home  When you write again let me
know whether  you received that which
I sent by Mr Steel But I must draw
my letter to a close as I am wore out
and feel sleepy as we have lost a great
deal of sleep lately  Nothing more but
remain your brother

       T M Smiley

Thomas M. Smiley,  Co. D, 5th Virginia

MSS 1807