1862 August 6 Harrison's Landing, Va.batteries on the other side of the

           Camp 8th Regt Pa. R. V.
Near Harrison's Landing, Aug. 6th
Dear Aunt:
               I have not had a letter
from any of my friends for a long
time so I came to the conclusion
that I must write again as that
is the surest way to get letters.
Every morning for nearly two weeks
I have been looking for the mail
with great anxiety.  But still
none comes.  I get exceedingly
anxious to hear from about home
I have been out of stamps or I
would have written sooner.  We are
still in camp near the landing
although the rebels did try to shell
us out one night last week.
About 1 o'clock Thursday night we
were wakened up by the roaring
of cannon.  We got out and the
shot and shell were screaming over
our heads.  The rebels had planted three

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river and thought to do us a good
deal of damage.  But our men soon
got their guns to bear on them
and of of the gunboats let fly
at them and in a short time the
rebels began to think it rather
an unhealthy location and concluded
to move to a safer locality.
the next morning a force was
sent over to take possession of
the point from which they shelled
us.  Our regiment was sent over
on Sunday to do picket duty.
Through the night the Musquitos
fought us with great vigor and
we presented a sorry sight in
the morning.  A short time after
daylight we saw some of the
rebel Cavalry but they took good
care to keep out of the reach
of our rifles.  In the forenoon
a party was sent out to look
after them.  They got within a

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short distance of about fifty
of them. As soon as they saw
our men they broke for the
woods and did not show them
selves again that day.  On Moonday
about two hundred contrabands
were brought over and set to
work to throw up entrenchments.
If the rebels even try the same
game again they will get it.
They killed three or four men for
us on this side of river and
wounded several also some
horses.  They struck some
of the vessels at the landing
but did no serious damage
I saw some of the boats that
had holes shot in them.
Yesterday three divisions went
out to Malvern Hill and
scattered them and took a
good many prisoners.  There
were a good many wounded.  Gens
Hooker and Kearney and Couch are

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fighting Gens and I wish we
had more of them.  We are
expecting an attack from some
of the rebel gunboats but as
we have 30 or 40 of them and
they have only about three.
They have been seen up the James
river towards Richmond but
have not showed much fight.
There is some talk that we
are going over the river before
long.  But we cannot tell.
We have a good many sick
but not many very dangerous.
We have had only one death in
our regiment since we came
here. that was a man by the
name of Leary of Co. G
I must come to a close.  Write
soon and direct as before.
Give my love to all the rest
and all inquiring friends.
                      Your affectionate Nephew
                       A.S. Eagleson

Andrew S. Eagleson

8th Regiment,  Pennsylvania Reserves


MSS 11027