Camp Graces Church near Fredricksburg, VA
May the l0th 1863
Dear Sister Mary

I once more have the exqisit pleasure of writing to you and informing you that I am in tolerable helth at present, as good as cood be expected from the hardships and exposure that I have under gawn ...on Saturday and Sunday last the big fight came of at Chancelorsville, sum fifteen miles from Fredricksburg ...

Stonewall being our foremon and Rodes his second, gave the orders to move forward and attact the enemy, we had not gawn more than one quarter of a mile before we cum in contact with the enemys Picketts the firing comenst, voIla after voIla of musketry was pourd in to them, whitch soon put them to flight, and in this way we drove them sev- era! miles throug the roughfest woods I ever saw, capturing a number of prisnors, and many other valuable articals, night came on the thick woods prevented from pursuing them further that night, hear we campt on the battle field. My company, thare was kno one kild, but three wounded, Sunday morning the attact was renewd, the fight raged with grate fury til in the after noon, the Yanks being repulst at evry point and driven from there fortifications they fell back near the River, the rebels being wearied did not pursue them very fare, til they stopt and comenst dtrowing up brest works continued at this business til Tuesday evning, Tuesday rught die Yankes taken die advantage of die darkness aud die dense fug that rose aloug die river that rught and crost back on diere one side of die River. ..Wednsday morning our skimtishers was moved forward, but soon found that die army had made diere escape, about eleven o clock we received orders to returu to our old camps, die distance was twenty thre miles, sum few reacht diare that rught but die grater uumber broke down on die way.

In Saturday and Sundays fight we had three kild and twelve wounded fifteen taken prisnors from my company. Capt TC Belcher was taken, George Honon a cousin of Miss Alice was wounded his thigh is broke, die remainder of die wounded is usless to mention as you know nun of diem. John West, Wtlliam Ware and Lige Wallice was kild

Mary I can assure you of die fact that so near run to to dedi, I hadent eat any thing for two days and rught .On Sunday I wituest die awfullest sight that die eyes of man ever beheld, that was I saw many of our poor wounded that was burnd to det afte diey wer wounded, and all so hun- dreds of die enemy, it was caused by die woods taking onfire from die explosion of shells, die ambulance core could not bare die wounded of faste enoughf so diose that was left burnd for diere was no time to put out fire.

Our commanding General was wounded in Saturdays fight, that is Old Stone Wall Jackson he was shot by our one men axidently, through the left arm, and had it ampertated that night but he will be in the field again as soon as he gits able. AP Hill has taken his command General Rodes has bin purmoted to Major General since the fight he has bin acting in the place of DH Hill for sum time, Rodeses Brigade open the fight on Saturday the second inst General Jackson complimented Rodes and his men very highly he said the world cood not beat the Alabamians.

I wood of written sooner but time and sircumstances wood not admit of so doing. I lost all my paper and pens in the fight I had to thro away my napsack and all the clothing I had except the ones I had on. ..

The Yankes was flanking us and I started to run out and soon found out that if I kep my napsack I wod be taken so away she went fifteen stood still and was taken, the remainder of the company made there escape as I did by hard running the enemy was on thre sides of us and thare was but one little gap to run out at we made it safe, the balls came thicker around us than ever you saw june bug around a peech tree. I expected evry minit for one to strike me but I came out safe the tide of affairs soon changed and the yankes wer going the other way as fast as quarterhorses, there loss was mutch grater than ours, the loss was hevy on both sides. I have not saw General Lees official report yet but rumor say that we taken twelve thousand Prisnors the ground was strewd with there ded and wounded I am con- fident that I saw three ded yankes to one rebel.

I will close my short letter by saying that I never want to git in to another as hard a fight for I can assure you that it was a warm place on Sunday, May the 3rd. ..