1                  Bucks County Intelligencer  From the 104th Regiment, 06/10/62  Page 1, Column 1                  1

 

From the 104th Regiment.

SEVEN OR EIGHT MILES FROM RICHMOND, Va.,

May 25th, 1862

Dear Sister :--I think the last time I wrote I was wishing for

an opportunity to get a shot At the rebels, to relieve me of some

of my cartridges.  Well, I had hardly got the letter sealed be-

fore the order came: “ Fall in, without knapsacks “  We began

to think something was up, and were not altogether mistaken. 

After stumbling through the woods half a mile we struck the

railroad leading from West Point to Richmond—23 miles from

the former and 15 from the latter place.  We marched along the

railroad about 3 miles, and then struck off to the left through

the woods until within half a mile of the Chickahominy.  Here

we ran into a nest of rebels, and our skirmishers were soon en-

gaged with theirs.  We halted, when the report of a cannon was

heard across the creek, followed by the whistling of a shell over

our heads, striking the ground 200 yards to the rear of us, but

did not explode.  After driving in their pickets, we drew up in

line in a field near the woods, and lay there till night, our artil-

lery shelling them all the afternoon.  Only one of our men was

wounded.  We returned to camp at night.  Next morning we

went in again, but the rebels had left.  The bridge over the

Chickahominy was burned, but we crossed on trees and logs

thrown across the stream; stayed all night, and recrossed in the

morning; next day we went over again, and marched about 3

miles from the creek, with the expectation of being attacked;

but we did not get a sight of the rebels.  Our whole corps was

moved over to be in readiness for an attack on the morrow, but

from some cause, we were not allowed to bring our knapsacks

with us; so there was no help for having to go back again, thus

making us about ten miles’ extra marching.  Next morning

(yesterday) we were roused up at 3 o’clock, and crossed the

creek again ( I hope for the last time) and marched about five

miles, our regiment taking the lead.  The rain poured down in

torrents, and from this fact we concluded that we would have a

fight, nor were we mistaken, for our skirmishers soon found

their pickets and the play commenced.  After driving them from

their posts, we advanced and drew up in line behind a woods,

when their artillery opened up on us, throwing all sorts of missiles. 

One six-pound shell struck the ground in front of us and hit one

of our men in the head, knocking it into a shapeless mass, and

then struck Lieut. Groff, of Company H, now commanding our

company, breaking one of his ribs and knocking him down.  He

is not dangerously hurt.  The man killed was William H. H.

Brown, one of the best men in our company.  One man of Com-

pany D was wounded, and, I believe, has since died; there may

be others, but I have not heard of it.  Several were wounded in

the 52d Pennsylvania.  It is said from sixty to seventy of the

enemy were killed and wounded..  Gen. Naglee, of our Brigade

had his horse shot under him.  The rebels had a whole division

of fifteen regiments engaged, while our brigade alone, consist-

ing of five regiments, only two of which were in the fight, op-

posed them; but our artillery did the work, and after one get-

ting the range of their guns, their battery was silenced so

effectually that we have not seen or heard from it since.  Last

night we were guarding the railroad, with orders to hold it

against all odds.  If the devil himself attacked us.  There is

heavy firing this evening on our right, and we may be called out

before morning