Franklin County: William Kindig to Henry A. Bitner, August 10, 1862
August 10th 1862.
Culpepper
Dear Old Friend Harry
I have poor facilities for
writing, but must do the best I can.
You will therefore
excuse this roughly gotten up thing. I was ever so
glad to hear from you and read your interesting letter, moreover that you were
successful in getting
the same old school to teach again. I
hope your reputation in this profession is now established. I want you
to keep me posted in school affairs,
for although I am now
a military man, I still take great interest in educational subjects. I suppose you've heard of our battle. Our
brigade
however was not engaged, still we performed some exploits
of which I must tell you.
Banks's
whole corps [unclear: ] fought
them all Saturday afternoon, and were
relieved by McDowell's corps in the evening after the infantry
fighting was
over the rebels as usual poured in upon Banks in
overpowering numbers, and why our
(McDowell's) corps was
not ordered up in time I cannot tell. The rebels were
retreating however when
Banks's men were
ordered to halt
because he had not men enough to follow up what
otherwise would have proved a glorious victory. The papers
will give you the particulars better than I can state them here.
When we neared the battlefield late in the evening we
met lots of our own wounded returning to
Culpepper, where,
our Chaplain told us the citizens treated them very kindly,
the women assisting in dressing their wounds. We had
been listening to the roar of artillery and could see the smoke
of the battle all P.M. of Saturday, from our camp 1 mile south
of [deleted: the battle][added:
Culpepper],
and when we saw the wounded, we felt like
taking revenge. When we came within a mile and a half
[page 3]
of the battle ground, our brigade was halted; our regiment
received its mail here, and we fell to reading
letters by candlelight; this drew the fire of a rebel battery, and
some half
dozen solid shot fell right in among us, wounding four
men of our regiment. One ball fell about three yards from where
I stood, we stood this like heroes for a short time, then we
were ordered back a short distance, but advanced again
until we came within 300 yards of
the same battery which was
firing upon us, and which with several others,
had opened
out again with the purpose of ascertaining our position
as
well as of the rest of the large number of
McDowell's corps
which had silently advance under cover of the dark, but they
fired far above our
heads, and we lay listening to the loud
and crashing roar of the dogs
of war in perfect safety. Presently the battery belonging to our
(Duryee's) brigade let loose upon
the one which fired into the 107th and
silenced it. This de-
[page 4]
[added: railed] their whole programme, and we could hear them falling
back although in good order. Next morning we found two
dismounted guns, 9 dead horses, and two
Lieutenants killed, one
having his head shot off. If we had not did this, they
would have continued to kill us, while their infantry would
have advanced, and perhaps have proved too strong
for us then, as our main force only came in the next day.
We have been watching the enemy ever since, yesterday
they commenced retreating on account of
Burnside
getting
in their rear. The reason
we have not advanced upon them
since our whole army is here is because
they occupied a strong
position on a high knoll. Abe got a letter
from Pap
which
says 9 men from Orrstown,
including
Brother Harry have
enlisted
in Reeds Company
Chambersburg. Bully for them. Its
uncommonly
warm here now. Soldiers live on secesh roasting
[unclear: cans]. Can't
get my picture taken now, No artist here.
Your friend,
William H. Kindig
