#24

Leesburge Va, June 22th 1863

Dear Wife

I now seat myself to answer your letters I received boath of them last night sunday I had been out on picket twenty four hours when I got back to camp I found the letters there was glad to get them and hear that you ware all well although I guess you are not very smart by what Georgia wrote but I hope by this time you have got over your cold and are well, your letters found me well and am to day, it is considrable cool hear this morning but I guess it will be hot anough in the middle of the day. we left Stafford one week ago last Saturday night was on the road all night arived at Dumfries about ten Oclock sunday in the forenoon stayed there till Monday morning at three Oclock when we was called up and started in the direction of Fair Fax non of us knew whare we ware going som thought one place and some another but after an awful hot day and hard days march we found ourselves at Fair Fax Court House we had a hard march Monday I tell you they fell out by the road side all along afternoon it was so hot there was two or three died on the road from sun stroke out of our Regiment, one from our company we thought would die, but he was alive at the last acounts that I heard, it was twenty eight miles from Dumfries to Fair Fax and come to carry such loads as we had to that distance with the rays of the sun pelting down onto a fellow made it rather tough, when we left Dumfries there was thirty six men in our company when we got to Fair Fax that night was only twelve men there to stack arms, the others come up the next morning, we stayed at fair Fax Tuesday left there wednesday morning at three Oclock marched about ten miles and hung up till the next forenoon when we started once moremarched about eight miles to Leesburge whare we are at this time, in takeing it all throug it was a very tough march those that never tried it know nothing about it, the bagage train that moved at the time we did was said at the time we was at Dumfries that it reached from Stafford to Fair Fax a distance of forty miles a pretty good train to be all in one string, Iwith all of our division witnessed a sit[e] last Friday that was hard to look upon and God forbid that I ever have to witness another of the kind, it was the execution of three of our men they ware shot for desertion two of them belonged to the 46^th Penn vol’s and one to the 13^th N.J. vol’s it was a solom site the Division was marched out into a large field and placed in a position so they could all see when the prisners ware brought out in an ambulance guarded by or at least those that ware detailed to shoot them marched in advance of the wagon that brought their coffins and the Ambulance that brought those to be executed the graves ware all dug three in a row a short distance apart a coffin was placed by each grave then then the prisners ware taken from the Ambulance and each one seated on his own coffin with a guard at each side of them, then the Executioners ware drawed up in front of them but a few paces off when the guard was ordered away and those to doe the sad job ware ordered to make ready take ame and fire when a volly from three squads of men numbering ten men each belched forth from their muskets, and the poor fellows had gone to their long home in an instante they fell before the report of the guns reached my ears and did not move a mussle as I could see, then they ware laid in their coffins breast striped bare and washed off clean so as to show the place whare they ware shot then the whole Division was marched past so they could take the farewell look of the unfortunate soldiers but so it is if they had proved true to their oath they would never have received a deserters punishment I think it will be a leason to all who witnessed the solomn ceramony, in our march Thursday afternoon we had a heavy Thunder Shower it rained and hailed powerfly some of the hail stones ware as large as walnuts they would hit a fellow pretty hard about the same time we came to an stream called goose creek we had to wad it it was about crotch deep and run swift with an awful stoney bottom we had a good deal of fun in crossing some would fall down an go all under wet every thing they had, after we got to camp ware we stoped fore the night, we had another shower the next night and it rained most powerfuly the water run under me it was about an inch deep whare I lay so you see it was rather damp between the sheats but I am used to such kind of fair, thare was a battle yesterday somewhare a pretty hard one I should think from the nois of Artilery and musketry I hear it plain all day I have not heard whare it was or what the result was we expected that we should have a hand in the mess before night but did not, it is a fine day here now I have got to close and clean up my gun and equipments for inspection which is coming off now in a short time, so goo[d] day my love to you all I have not forgot the children if I have not wrote to them in particular

From your Husband

A.C. Smith

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