| | 262 | Author: | Bitner Collection: Kindig, William | Requires cookie* | | | 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. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 263 | Author: | Bitner Collection: Kindig, William | Requires cookie* | | | 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 poor facilities for wri ting, 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 let-
ter, moreover that you were successful in getting the same old school
to teach again. I hope your reputa tion 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 education- al 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 whole corps
fought them all Saturday afternoon, and were relieved by
McDow ells
corps in the evening after the infantry fighting was over the rebels as
usual poured in upon Banks in overpow ering
numbers, and why our (McDowell's) corps was not
ordered up in time I cannot tell. The rebels were retreating however when
Banks
men were ordered to halt because he had not men enough to follow up what
other wise 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
the battle
Culpepper
, and when we saw the wounded, we felt like taking revenge. When we came
within a mile and a half
of the battle ground, our brigade was
halted; our regiment received its mail here, and we fell to reading letters by
can dlelight; 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 til 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. present- ly the battery belonging to our (Duryee's) brigade let loose upon the one which fired into the 107th and silenced it. This de-
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 Lieuts.
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
Corrstown
, including Bro. Harry
have enlisted in Reeds Co.
Chambersburg. Bully for them. Its uncommonly warm
here now. Soldiers live on secesh roasting cans. Cant get my picture taken now, No artist here. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 264 | Author: | Bitner Collection: Martin, William | Requires cookie* | | | 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: | As I have just now got off of duty I thought that it was my duty to inform
you of some of the proceedings. Friend we left
Har- risburg
[illeg.]of day at 10 O,clock A.M,
and arrived at
Baltimore at 6 O,clock in the
eve- ning where we were treated with much
respect by the citizens The whole Regiment got their supper at the Soldiers
relig.
asso- ciation; a place kept up by the
citizens of Baltimore for the ben-
efit of the soldiers. Our supper consisted of bread boiled ham
cheese, and plenty of first rate coffee, but spreads we had none. And we
left
Balt.
at 9 O,clock that night and arrived at Washington City at 1 O,clock
the next morning A.M.
where we retired for the night we all
slept in the soldiers retreat, a building put up
for to rest soldiers in the morning we got our breakfast which was bread
and a hunk of meat and chocklet with greese
swimming on it a half an inch thick. I had a great notion to greese my shoes with it. We spent a Tuesday forenoon in
running around through the City and about 10 O,clock we were marched to where we now are. We are in- camped about in the 7 miles south west
from Washington. We were marched from the City to
camp wells
7 miles with only 2 rests of about 10 minutes each with our
knapsacks on our backs and our guns and our haversacks
all together weighing about 50 lbs and we were doublequicked part
of the way | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 270 | Author: | Bitner Collection: Shoemaker, David R. P. | Requires cookie* | | | 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: | Yours of the 18th ult. is at hand, having been forwarded
from Somersville, Va; and I will
have to answer it in brief to=night, as we are under marching
orders for to=morrow morning at 3.30, and I do not know when
I shall have an opportunity of writing again. Our destination is unknown to your
humble servant. I do not know of any regiment in the service which has been moved about
quite as much as the "Gipsies," as Genl Wise used to call us.— I am glad to hear
that you are having good times in old Southampton. Do not
imagine that the toils and privations of a soldier's life have made such a
misanthrope of me that hearing of those
good things you describe would cause "hard thoughts." As far as
wishing myself out of the army is concerned I have wished it long ago, but shall
only get out honorably—either an honorable discharge or death. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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