Augusta County: J. F. Coghill to Pappy, Ma and Mit,
June 25, 1863
Summary:
J. F. Coghill writes to his family about recent military movements and his
experiences in the Confederate Army on the way to Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Coghill comments directly on Chambersburg and the panic of the local citizens
upon the arrival of Confederate troops.
June the 25th 1863
Camp near Chambersburg Pennsylvania
Dear Pappy Ma and Mit
I seat myself once more to write you a few more lines to let you know that I am well and hearty and I hope that when those few lines reaches you they may find you all the same I haven't been writing to you all in a good while nor haven't heard from you since I left Culpepper and there I wrote you a letter giving you all the news up to that time but after that time we came very near having a fight there but it turned out so see did not fight and then we took up our line of march and marched to Berresville and there we found 1600 Yankees and we flanked there breastworks but when we marched up to fight they were gone so we did not get them but we continued the march and we soon got to Bunker's Hill where General Jinkins had a fight killing two of the enemy and wounding 11 and took 16 prisioners and the Yankes wounded two of our men we drove them to Martingsburg and we rushed in there and run them out we captured a piece of artillery and a good deal of provisions but they run so that we did not get them so the next day we marched and waded the Potomac and then we were in Williamsport Md and then we came to Hagerstown and there we took up camp bud did not stay long there before we started again and when we got to Middleburg we were in Pennsylvania and the next town was named Greencastle and you may believe that the people was very near scared to death but we treated them with respect and yesterday we marched through Chambersburg and it is a very nice place but in there I found a good meny disbanded soldiers from the Yankee's army the militia here is going to fight us I suppose but we will not stop for them I reckoned we will go to Harrisburg the capital of this state and there we will have to fight I guess but General Lee says that he has got the Yankees just where he wants them it has been a grand move in our army Brother Fuller is gone out on skirmish so I have to close his letter. Uncle Jimmy Stewart is well and and harty send word to Aunt Mary that Uncle Junuis is well and he has not time to write. The militia is coming so I am in a hurry so you must excuse me for writing so bad. I will close for this time. Sister you must not be uneasy about us for we are all well and are doing well Give my love to all the friends. do write soon direct to Richmond
from your brother
J F Coghill
p.s. we must leave
[Note at bottom of transcription:
"(This must have been finished by Grandpa's brother who was also in the
army. There is a different handwriting at the end of the letter. Notice the
wording of the letter also.)"]
