On the Battlefield of Wauhatchie
Nov the 1 /63
My Dear Wife
I am verry thankful for this another privalage of writing to you to tell you that I am well and yet amost the liveing. I wrote a letter last Sunday. We was then at Fosterville but we left there in the evening. We went to Bridgeport Alabama on the cars. Got there Tuesday about nine in the morning and from there we marched to Mount Shelby ten miles and camped. Wensday morn at day break we started and marched here. We marched 20 miles Wensday. Got here just dark pretty tired. We eat our super and raped ourselves up in our blankets to sleep. We sleped untill half past eleven when we was routed up. We packed our things verry quick and in 15 or 20 minuets we were ordered out. We went about ten or fifteen rods and tried to forme a line of battle but before they could get us in line the rebs poured their mourderous vollies in so we had to get in line the best we could. We fought in an open field. Our regt had a bad place on a rise of ground. The 149 NY regt was on our left and Knaps Battery in the rear of our regt and the 109 PA and the 111 PA regts on our right. The 149 regt broke and run when the first volly was fired and that let the enemy almost in the rear of our regt and let them up so they killed most all the batery horses and men but they couldent budge our regt. We held our position and drove the rebs and saved the batery. It was a hard fight for the time. It lasted two hours and a quarter. The 137th lost 90 men in killed and wounded and one of the numbers killed was James Batcher. There was three killed in our co. Austin Barney and Simon Woster and seven wounded. You will see a list of our loss perhaps before you get this. I am now left alone. The boys from our neighbourhood are all gone now but me. I am lonesome and feele verry solemn. Batcher never knew what hurt him. He was shot in the head back of his left ear. He was about twelve feet from me when he was shot. He was laying down when he was shot. I helpt bury him. We buried our regts dead all in a rough togeather. It looked hard but it is the fate of war. Generel Greene was wounded in his jaw. Col Vanvurace was wounded. Col Ireland has command of our brigade now. Our regt done the most of the fighting. You will hear the numbers engaged. You will see it in the papers. It is all the 137th here now. We have have gained a great name in this fight. The rebs we fought were Longstreets men. We took some prisoners and killed quite a number. I dont know how meney. The rebs tooks us by supprise. They got closed to us before we knew they were there. I dont see how eney of us got out alive. They got a croos fire on us. How thankful we are that I came out of it safe. The bulets flew all around me killed and wounded men by my side and I came out without a scratch. It will be hard news to Batchers folks. Jim was a good soldier and a good boy. I have some of his things. I will write to his folks and send what I can. I have got to help build breastworks now. Good buy.
Monday Morning Nov the 2
Dear Charlotte
We are yet on the battlefield. We are in a vally at the foot of Lookout Mountain wich is held by the rebels. We are fortifing the vally so they cant come through here. The battle we fought was fought the knight of the 28th. In the morning Generls Grant Hooker and Howerd and Thomas came on the field from Chatanooga and formed the lines and we have ben building breastworks ever since. Day and knight and they are choping down the woods. They are getting ready for a hard fight and I think the rebs will get all they want this time. You will hear about it in the papers better than I can tell you. The rebs have got some big guns on Lookout Mountain. They throw once and a while a shell down in the vally amont us but they cant hurt us much the mountain is so high. We got a mail Sadurday. I got two of your kind letters and a paper. You dont know how glad I was to hear from you. I felt lonesome and bad but them letters cheered me up a good deal. I found some tea in one and peacies of your dreses and a pen. I neaded the pen verry much. I have got to go to work again now so I must stop writing. The mail goes now so I cant finish my letter. I will write again when I have time. We have got to work the most of the time. No more so good buy dear Charlotte.