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 rugh time of it since the 15th until the 17th. we drove the rebels from the rappahannock river to the rappaden 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 Rappaden river. There the rebels
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was entrenched al
along the river side but we kept up a very steady fire on them al day
and the same night our regiment tied our horses in the woods one mile from there breast works and we crept up to the rebels breast works on our hands and feet
when daylight apeared the rebels was walking along on there works. then we got up and let terible
fire on them. the rebels dropt in there
holes. Then they
opent
on us with there artillery and we was so close to them that we
youst to drive there canoniers from there
pieses every time they would show them
selves. we had to lay and wach them al
day if we would undertake to get back that day they wood rake us al to pieses: and we staid there ontil dark then we came back. the day folowing 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 opent on us with al
there artillery but we drove them back across the river again and kept
them there ontil yesterday till the infantry came and releived us. So you can judge that we had some hard fighting. The
saddles was not off of our horses from the 13th
ontil the 17th in the evening. we are fell back
at the present to rest our horses and our selves.
General Buford gave our regt great praises for gallant charge
we made on foot. had it not been for our Regt they would have
captured Gen. Buford and all his staff eating supper in there tents Gen. Buford is comanding our
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Division. Gen.
Kilpatrick is comanding the 2nd Division
[illeg.]
Gen. 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 beter then 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
