Franklin County: Josiah Bloss to His Sister, September 19, 1863
Summary:
Bloss writes his sister describing how his company drove the rebels from the Rappahannock to
the Rapidan.
His Sister
Sept 19th 1863
Stevensburg Va
Dear Sister,
I received your most kind & loving letter yesterday evening containing two Photographs which I think looks very natural. I sent one of them to Wm this morning. we have had a very rough time of it since the 15th until the 17th. we drove the rebels from the rappahannock river to the Rapidan river.
On the first day we drove the rebels from brandy station to Culpeper and from there to the
rear of Slaughter mountain. on our next day we drove them across the Rapidan river. There the rebels
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was entrenched all
along the river side but we kept up a very steady fire on them all day
and the same night our regiment tied our horses in the woods one mile from their breast works and we crept up to the rebels breast works on our hands and feet
when daylight appeared the rebels was walking along on their works. then we got up and let terrible
fire on them. the rebels dropped in their
holes. Then they opened on us with there artillery and we was so close to them that we
used to drive their canoniers from there
pieces every time they would show themselves. we had to lay and watch them all
day if we would undertake to get back that day they would rake us all to pieces: and we stayed there until dark then we came back. the day following they
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charged on the 4th N.Y.
Cavalry and took one squadron prisoners, and our regt charged on them on
foot down a hill. the rebels opened on us with all
their artillery but we drove them back across the river again and kept
them there until yesterday till the infantry came and relieved us. So you can judge that we had some hard fighting. The
saddles were not off of our horses from the 13th
until the 17th in the evening. we are fell back
at the present to rest our horses and ourselves.
General Buford gave our regiment great praises for gallant charge
we made on foot. had it not been for our Regiment they would have
captured General Buford and all his staff eating supper in their tents General Buford is commanding our
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Division. General
Kilpatrick is commanding the 2nd Division
[illeg.]
General Greg is comanding the 3rd Division and
General [unclear: Beasenton] has got command of those three divisions. Those are all
Cavalry.
You can see the details of the fight better than I can tell you. we have done our share in this fight now we leave the infantry to finish it.
from your Affectionate Brother
Josiah Bloss
Co. K. 17th Pa Cav.
Washington
D.C.
Send Edwin Hunsicker one of them photographs
