to "Dear Home Friends"
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09015 Author/Creator: Place Written: Winchester, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 April 1863 Pagination: 6 p. ; 20 x 12.5 cm. Order a Copy
An unknown Union soldier named George writes to his friends back home. Starts by saying they have just had a march in order to catch a rebel force at Strasburg, Virginia. "Milroy sent our regt 116th several companies of cavalry, 4 pieces of artillery to drive them out and sent a large cavalry force out the other way to cut off their retreat." Mentions being sent out on another march where they covered 28 miles in one day. Comments on having to make pontoon bridges of wagons and planks to cross a river. States that their cavalry had another skirmish, "...the cavalry had another brush with the Rebs which proved harder than the other. There was 5 or 6 of our men killed and several wounded. Our men shelled the Rebs out of the woods and the 87th Pennsylvania charged bayonets on them and drove them back over the mountains ... " Writes that they marched over 100 miles in five days and are now suffering from sore feet. Mentions buying a hat from someone named Camp.
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