Editor’s Note: This article was provided by John Hennessy and transcribed by Jackie Martin.
OUR ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
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LETTERS FROM PETERSBURG.
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CAMP NEAR PETERSBURG, VA.
July 14, 1864.
EDITOR SENTINEL—DEAR SIR: It would be difficult to convey to you the exact condition of things here in our front, or make known the progress we have made during the last fortnight, even were it not contraband; therefore I can only point to the similar condition of affairs before Vicksburg up to the 3d of July, ’63; on the morning of the 4th we saw the progress that had been made,—the results of that long and trying campaign—they became apparent. So now, I cannot show the progress or the results, but I hope in a few days they will be gloriously apparent to all. I have no doubt as to the results. It may not be of so much importance, but the moral effects will be nearly equal. Digging constantly from first to last—battery after battery is being placed into position, and fort after fort is being built, until the amount of labor, as seen in the result—the work of engineering skill—is almost incredible.
Our regiment for a few days has been at work building a large fort wherein are to be placed some large mortars. As they were being relieved this morning, and were passing out, our Major (who was in command) Phineas P. Bixby, was wounded severely in the shoulder, but no bones were broken. It is a bad wound and will lay him up for some months. He obtained a leave of absence for sixty days and starts for New Hampshire to-morrow.
Capt. Robert L. Ela is now in command of the regiment. He is the only one left of the original ten captains who came out with the regiment. It numbers some three hundred men for duty.—Surgeon Cooper and 2d Asst. E. P. Pierce are on duty at the 2d Division Hospital, 9th A. C.; the first as one of the Operating Board, and the latter has charge of the Hospital records; and 1st Asst. J. H. Noyes is in charge of the regiment, and is with them at the front.
The weather is hot and dry, no rain having fallen for a long time of any amount. There are many good springs in this region, and with the large quantities of ice found stored in ice-houses on most every large plantation in this vicinity, furnish us with cooling drinks these hot days, which are delicious and refreshing.
Our rations with the addition of fresh vegetables, which we receive from the U. S. Sanitary Commission, are much better than we could expect. The health of the veteran troops is in good condition. The new troops suffer more from exposures, but there is not much sickness prevailing.
The following are the casualties in the 6th and 9th regiments up to date.
Killed—Peter Kellison, Co. K. Wounded—Eleazer Trombly, Co. I, in foot; Henry Asher, K, in leg; John Cook, C, in finger; John Baker, K, in ankle; Thomas Murray, K, in leg; James Gaudray, C, thorax, severely.
9th N. H.—Charles Peterson, Co. C, in forearm. L.1
Source:
- “Letters from Petersburg.” New Hampshire Sentinel. July 21, 1864, p. ? col. ? ↩