Harvard memorial biographies ...

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Harvard Memorial Biographies.

During the following winter his regiment was in winter
quarters in different places, and on April 27th broke camp
and set out with the rest of the army on the Chancellorsville
campaign. He wrote home as follows immediately after the
battle of Chancellorsville:"May 5, 1863.
"..... We left Stafford Court-House a week ago yesterday, and
marched to Kelley's Ford, and thence down the river to this point,
which is about five miles from Fredericksburg. We arrived here
last Wednesday, and have been fighting ever since, night and day.
We have lost about one hundred and fifty men, one officer killed
and seven wounded. I am all right, with my usual hole through my
blouse. I do not know how we are going to come out, but hope for
the best. We were doing splendidly up to Saturday afternoon,
when the whole Eleventh Corps broke and ran. I have a sword
which was surrendered to me Sunday morning, which I shall send
home when I get a chance. Our corps has done splendidly, and
has driven the Rebels every time we have met them. Since we
have been fighting our regiment has taken over two hundred prisoners."
On the night of the day after this letter was written the
regiment was ordered to recross the river, and returned to
Stafford Court-House, where it had been before encamped.
Next came the expedition to Beverly Ford. Of this he wrote
on June 19th, from Leesburg, Va.:" It is some time since I have had an opportunity of writing to
you, for we have 'been on the march for two weeks. A week ago
last Saturday we were detached with one other regiment of our
corps, to go over the river with the cavalry. In the first twentyfour hours we marched thirty-two miles. Tuesday morning we
crossed the Rappahannock at Beverly Ford, where all the Rebel
cavalry were massed. We did not have much difficulty in crossing,
but we did not get far before they came down on us in force, and
drove our cavalry in every direction. They were not prepared, however, for our rifles, and soon found that they had better leave. It
was first-rate fun, a regular North Carolina fight. We were skirmishing with them all day, and only lost four men. At one time
seven battalions of cavalry came up in front of my company, which
was all deployed as skirmishers. I thought of course we should all
be taken, but I did not know what a joke cavalry fighting was. I