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expand1998 (1)
1Author:  Bitner Collection: Kindig, WilliamAdd
 Title:  Letter to Henry A. Bitner  
 Published:  1998 
 Subjects:  University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | UVA-LIB-Bitnerletters | Henry Bitner letters | Bitner collection | Letters written to Henry A. Bitner 
 Description: I have been writing and writing and writ ing to you ever since I am in the army, and at last I've wakened up all of a Sunday morning to find myself sealed behind a whole sheet of foolscap, trying to make it look like a letter to old Southampton. I would make an awful long yarn to tell you everything that has happened since I left home, in fact, twould make a young history, so will try our hand in the condensing line & squeeze out all the little things re taining only the big facts. After our regt. had been encamped on the sacred soil of Va. for several weeks near Mun son's Hill, we were attached to Gen. Duryee's brigade then lying near Alexandria, and our regt. was accordingly moved thither. Next our regt. was detatched from the brigade for awhile to guard the R.R. from Alexandria to Manassas Junction. From this we went 12 miles beyond Manassas Junction to what is called Catlett's Station, but when Banks retreated, we fell back on Manassas to defend that place. Here Ord's and Shields divisions soon came pouring in like bees and advanced thence to Front Royal in pursuit of Jackson, at Manassas our regt. or rather our brigade was attatched to Ords , now Ricketts division. I suppose you've read the letter describing this march in the news. I was not along with the regt. on this march, but got sick at Manassas, and was sent to Washing- ton , After Jackson disappeared our divison fell back again on Catletts Station where I rejoined my regt. after an absence of about 3 or 4 weeks. Thence we marched to Warrenton, County seat of Fauquier, and from that again a dis tance of 8 miles out here on the Rap pahannock . We are now in Pope's great army of Virginia. The men have great be- lief in him and his energetic policy, and all desire and expect that he will soon give us a chance to distinguish ourselves. We all regard his late stringent orders as just the thing, and all are down on slow coach McLellan , who marched his army into the swamps of the Chickahominy, and kept them intren ching and digging, while they were dying by the thousand, and all this time made no attempt on Richmond He occupies a splendid position on the banks of the James, but why didnt he go there in the first place. We ex pect better things of Pope who has already proved himself no ordinary Gen. in the Western Campaign. Our Col. (Ziegle) died the other day. McAllen is too sickly to take the command, so the Gov. I suppose will appoint us a Col. Jake Gish just got back from Washington last night with his commission as 2nd Lieut. We have bully officers. MacThompson is a clever Capt., McPherson is clever, but Gish is the best man of the party. The boys all like him because he makes him- self so common. Write and give me all the news of Southampton, Shippensburg, the schools, your studies, &c.
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